Brazil hosted 42 more international association meetings in 2025 than in 2024, lifting the country to 13th worldwide and giving Brazil’s business tourism sector a new leader at home. São Paulo overtook Rio de Janeiro and accounted for just over half the net national increase, based on figures from the International Congress and Convention Association and São Paulo’s convention bureau. Another number makes the shift clearer. Brazil recorded 42 host cities in both years. For meeting planners, hotels and local tour operators, the distinction matters because a rising national tally can hide different patterns of demand from city to city. embratur.com.br
Where Brazil’s business tourism gained ground
São Paulo hosted 65 qualifying meetings in 2025, up from 43 in 2024. That put it first in Brazil and 35th worldwide, according to the São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau. Rio de Janeiro had led the Brazilian ranking the previous year. SP PARA EVENTOS & NEGÓCIOS
São Paulo’s gain of 22 meetings represented 52% of the net national increase. It also hosted nearly one in four of Brazil’s qualifying meetings in 2025. Across the rest of the country, the combined count rose from 191 to 211, a net increase of 20 that can include gains in some cities and declines in others. icpb.in
| ICCA measure | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying meetings in Brazil | 234 | 276 | +42 |
| Qualifying meetings in São Paulo | 43 | 65 | +22 |
| Qualifying meetings elsewhere in Brazil | 191 | 211 | +20 |
| Brazilian host cities reported by Embratur | 42 | 42 | No net change |
| Brazil’s global rank | 15th | 13th | Up two places |
Sources: ICCA’s 2024 rankings, Embratur’s annual releases and the São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau. Figures for the rest of Brazil are calculated by subtracting São Paulo’s count from the national total. icpb.in
More meetings across a market with 42 host cities
Embratur reported 26 Brazilian host cities in 2023 and 42 in 2024. The number held at 42 in 2025. An unchanged total leaves room for individual cities to enter or leave the ranking, and the national releases do not allocate every one of the 42 additional meetings by destination. embratur.com.br
The ICCA public abstract covers 12,438 international association meetings worldwide. The ranking tracks a specific category of events, so it cannot establish how Brazil’s entire market for corporate meetings, trade exhibitions and incentive trips performed. It also counts meetings rather than delegates or hotel nights. ICCA
Brazil is backing convention bids beyond its biggest hubs
In May 2026, Embratur reported that its initiative had supported 75 international congresses and conferences scheduled between 2024 and 2034. The destinations include Belém, Bonito and Fortaleza as well as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. That figure covers a decade of activity, including future events. embratur.com.br
The agency’s Plano Brasis sets international marketing priorities through 2027. Its 2026 programme includes promotion for the meetings and incentives sector, with a call for Brazilian organisations to share stands at international trade shows. For regional convention bureaux and local operators, those shows offer a chance to meet buyers while organisers are still deciding where to take future events. Embratur
What the growth means for flights, hotels and local businesses
Brazil recorded 22.7 million international air passengers from January to September 2026, up 7.2% year on year, according to the Ministry of Tourism’s October update. The same update put international visitor spending at US$8.38 billion for the nine months, up 10%, and reported that Brazil received 9.2 million international visitors in 2025. Air passenger traffic and visitor arrivals are separate measures. gov.br
The ministry also reported 62,000 additional formal tourism jobs between August 2025 and August 2026. Those jobs and the visitor spending figures cover tourism broadly. A city assessing the return on a convention bid would need event-level evidence such as contracted room nights, airport transfers and spending with local suppliers. gov.br
A congress can bring hotels a block of weekday bookings, airlines and airports a concentrated arrival window, and tour operators a chance to sell trips around the event. The value depends on the size and timing of each meeting. A delegate who adds a night and books a local tour contributes differently from one who flies out as soon as the final session ends.
What conference travellers need to know
Do I need a visa to attend a conference in Brazil?
Check the rules for your passport and purpose of travel. The Brazilian consulate’s e‑Visa guidance says Australian, Canadian and US passport holders visiting for tourism or business need an electronic visitor visa. Ministério das Relações Exteriores
Should I choose my hotel before booking flights?
Check the venue address and the organiser’s hotel block first. Then compare the airport transfer, flight arrival time and journey to the venue. If you have an early session, those details can matter more than a small difference in room price.
Can I add leisure days to my conference trip?
Check your permitted stay and the conditions of your return fare. If the itinerary includes another city, check whether the domestic flight is on the same ticket and allow time for any transfer between airports.
The next measure of success
Brazil’s rise to 13th globally tells one story. São Paulo’s return to the top of the domestic ranking tells another. Its gain of 22 meetings accounted for just over half the national increase, while the rest of the country recorded a combined gain of 20. For organisers choosing a host city, that balance matters more than the national ranking alone. A city’s flight schedules, venue location and room supply will shape what delegates experience. For destinations bidding for future congresses, the figures that matter next are confirmed events, how long delegates stay and how much they spend with local businesses. icpb.in
Official Sources
- International Congress and Convention Association — GlobeWatch 2025 country and city rankings
- Embratur — Brazil’s 2025 ICCA results and convention bid programme
- São Paulo Convention and Visitors Bureau — São Paulo’s 2025 ICCA results
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