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Tourists generated R$14,5 billion in Rio's economy in the first half of 2025
Published on 20/08/2025 - 20:25 | Updated on 22/08/2025 - 10:55
Rio de Janeiro received 6,8 million visitors in the first half of 2025 - Marcos de Paula/City of Rio Tourists generated R$14,5 billion in Rio's economy in the first half of 2025, according to a survey by City Hall, through the Secretariats of Economic Development (SMDE), Tourism, and Riotur. According to the Tourism Observatory (SMTUR), 6,8 million tourists visited Rio in the first six months of the year, 82,5% of whom were domestic and 17,5% international.
"We are working to ensure that Rio continues to be a benchmark on the international stage, with tangible benefits for the local economy and the people of Rio," stated Osmar Lima, Municipal Secretary of Economic Development.
To perform the calculations, the average expenditure of Brazilian tourists (R$ 1.830) and foreign tourists (R$ 3.594) was taken into account, according to the study “Tourism in Rio de Janeiro: Recent overview of the main indicators”, prepared by IFec RJ – Fecomércio Institute of Research and Analysis, and updated to values from May 2025, deflated by the IPCA.
"The economic impact and visibility brought by major events demonstrate the strength of this investment, attracting an ever-increasing number of national and international tourists to our city," added Municipal Secretary of Tourism Daniela Maia.
It is worth noting that the Rio de Janeiro City Hall—through the SMDE—has a Technical Cooperation Agreement with IFec RJ to conduct economic studies, including on tourism. Expenses include lodging, accommodation, restaurants, bars, food and beverage purchases (outside restaurants and bars), fuel, transportation, internal travel, entertainment/leisure (parties, tourist attractions), telecommunications (telephone, internet), and product purchases (clothing, souvenirs).
In the same period, between January and June 2025, the city collected R$170,4 million in taxes (ISS) from tourism services, a real growth of 26,0% compared to the first half of 2024, discounting inflation.
Riotur President Bernardo Fellows highlighted:
– The growth in revenue demonstrates the impact of the Official Events Calendar on strengthening Rio's economy. The ongoing policy of promoting Rio as a cultural, business, and entertainment destination, when well-structured, is a proven driver of development and revenue generation for the city.
The city collected R$66,2 million in taxes (ISS) in May 2025, the month of Lady Gaga's concert
In May of this year, when singer Lady Gaga performed in Copacabana, the city collected R$66,2 million in taxes from tourism services, events, municipal transport, airport/bus station and artists.
Comparing May 2025 to May 2024, when Madonna's concert took place, the real increase was 8,2%. The city raised R$5 million more this year, as the total raised in May 2024 was R$61,1 million.
The figure also represented a 23,2% increase in revenue, equivalent to R$12,5 million more, adjusted for inflation, compared to May 2023, when Rio had not yet hosted the month's major international concerts. The study also shows that in May 2025—with Lady Gaga's concert, the second consecutive year the event featured an international artist—compared to May 2023 (the last year without the major event), 130,5 foreign tourists entered Rio, according to Embratur.
This represented an increase of almost 100% (98,1%) compared to 2023. Brazil – excluding Rio – also showed an increase, but much smaller (46,1%). And São Paulo, the country's largest economy, showed growth three times smaller than Rio's (30,4%). The increase from 2025 compared to 2024 was as follows: Rio (55,2%), Brazil – excluding Rio (31,5%), and São Paulo (20,9%).
Another analysis shows that if the number of foreign tourists entering Rio in May had followed the trend of recent years (excluding the pandemic period), Rio would have received 111,1 international tourists. In other words, there were 19,4 more visitors this year, reinforcing the hypothesis that the events of May 2025 had a significant impact on the city's tourist appeal.
The study “Evidence of the Strengthening of Tourism in Rio in May 2025, with the Lady Gaga Show”, in its full version, is available at Rio Economic Observatory.
