The year 2022 was the period in which Brazilians set foot on the road again: restrictions were lifted due to Covid-19, and the vaccination rate against the disease increased. The times of social isolation are behind us, but not without leaving marks on the profile of the traveler, who now shows more interest in a more sustainable, conscious and experience-filled tourism.
With the resumption in most of the world, the sector is optimistic for 2023. According to the third quarter bulletin of Braztoa (Brazilian Association of Tour Operators), the expectation is that there will be a growth of 53% in this market.
This return on top of the sector comes after a sharp drop in revenue, which, according to the Ministry of Tourism, reached 59% in 2021.
National destinations stand out in this new phase. The association’s bulletin points to the Northeast as the region most loved by travelers. Salvador (BA) is the most visited city, followed by Maceió (AL), Porto de Galinhas (PE), Recife (PE) and São Paulo, in second place, and Fortaleza (RN), Gramado (RS), Natal (RN) ) and Rio de Janeiro, occupying third place.
Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency) published data referring to air flow in Brazil in September 2022, and recorded around 7 million passengers — an increase of 127% in domestic movement at the country’s airports compared to the same period of 2020.
“Domestic tourism was the first to emerge in the post-pandemic period, but the repressed demand for international destinations is already being met, which has collaborated with the increase in revenues of operators due to factors such as exchange variation and inflation, which make the average ticket value higher”, says Roberto Haro Nedelciu, president of Braztoa.
Among the preferred international destinations of Brazilians, according to the association, are Lisbon and Orlando, in first place, New York and Paris, in second place, and Barcelona and Buenos Aires, in third place in the ranking.
Blogger Rafael Leick, 37 years old, from the capital of São Paulo, is one of the Brazilian tourists who in 2022 returned to travel. Leick says he is passionate about travel, but has been forced, in the last two years, to take punctual trips designed according to the flexibilities, and to destinations with little social contact.
This year, the man from São Paulo decided it was time to get back on the road, and spent 20 days in Uruguay on vacation.
“It was very strange not to travel for so long. I was part of the team that diligently followed the restrictions, mainly due to the contact with my grandmother. I went back to traveling by plane this year, and allowed myself to have a more relaxed trip, without so much script and rush in tourist spots, which I consider a change in my traveler profile after the pandemic”, he evaluates.
This year, the Booking.com platform launched the 7th edition of the Sustainable Travel Report, which was attended by more than 30,000 travelers. The survey indicated that awareness of and search for more sustainable travel is growing.
“Brazil, for example, is the third country that most considers sustainable travel to be important (96%), behind only Kenya and Vietnam, and tied with Colombia”, says Luiz Cegato, the platform’s communication manager for America Latin.
“People are not just thinking about their impact on the environment, but also their connection to different cultures and how to positively impact the destinations they visit.”
Another survey of more than 24,000 travelers from 32 countries showed that, of the Brazilians surveyed, 79% want trips that are “outside their comfort zone”, and that “test their limits”, while 44% seek trips aimed at the practice of meditation .
Coach Izabella Tulio Wagner, 45, from Jaraguá do Sul (SC), is one of those tourists who invested in a “self-discovery trip” to India in 2022.
“I accepted my teacher’s call to go on this trip. I dedicate myself to the study and development of spirituality and traveling has a different bias for me today. [A viagem] is connected to a purpose, a movement that first comes from within”, defines the coach.
Roberto Haro Nedelciu, president of Braztoa, also owns a travel agency. He claims that the sector lacks skilled labor to sell more than airline tickets, but “packages focused on experiences”, ranging from cheese and coffee tasting to accommodation in exotic places.
“It is necessary to create interesting itineraries that go beyond the beach, sea and sun. People want to do activities that make that trip unforgettable”, he says.
“It’s not just a trip to rest. Tourists want to visit different places like Jalapão and the Pantanal. In addition, rural tourism is emerging as an option too, which was not available before the pandemic.”
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