For the second consecutive year, Rio hosted an important world gastronomy award

The City Hall is working to ensure that Rio is recognized as an international gastronomic destination - Alexandre Macieira/Riotur

For the second year in a row, the city of Rio de Janeiro hosted the 50 Best Latin America awards ceremony, with a grand event on Tuesday night (26/11) at the National Historical Museum, in the city center. The Latin American version of the brand considered the Oscar of international gastronomy filled hotels and put the city in the spotlight of the specialized press. Another exponent of world haute cuisine, the Michelin Guide awards also brought excitement to the city in 2024, and will return in 2025 and 2026.

The initiatives are part of the City Hall’s strategy, through the Municipal Department of Tourism (SMTUR), to make Rio de Janeiro recognized as an international gastronomic destination, a way to boost tax revenue and attract more foreigners. This vision is supported by the launch of the study “Rio: The Capital of Sustainable Gastronomy in Latin America”, carried out by the Municipal Department of Urban and Economic Development (SMDUE) in partnership with SMTUR and the Bazzar Institute.

The study shows that the strategy could increase tax revenue by up to R$357,2 million and increase the number of foreign tourists by another 2 million in ten years. In 2023, the value of taxes (ISS) coming from the tourism sector was R$238,1 million. A gateway for international tourists, the city has six Michelin-starred restaurants. The so-called foodie tourist, the one who travels to eat, already accounts for 40% of the global economy in the sector.

The study is available at Economic Observatory.