Culture is our essence, strategy is our map

An invitation to turn our identity into tangible development, uniting the precision of data with the warmth of human connection—precisely the sweet spot where a-gente likes to be.

Brazil is a celebration of life, of diversity, and of affection. Its culture acts as a potent vessel for expressing and preserving its identity, allowing it to showcase its uniqueness to the world.

In tourism, "having" has given way to "feeling". It is all about the experience. And this experience can only arise from culture, from people, and from identity. Celebrating these "many Brazils" is beautiful to witness, and it becomes even more potent when we use the power of strategy to ensure we truly showcase ourselves to the world.

And it isn’t just poetry; it is maths (and big maths at that)

The world, indeed, wants to see us. But this is not merely about charm; it is about robust economic development. Culture is a powerful sector that acts internally within societies and drives high value-added development.

Official figures from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reveal a striking reality: cultural tourists spend up to 80% more per trip than the average tourist. This is a visitor who seeks depth, stays longer at the destination, and boosts the local economy.

Furthermore, UNESCO and the OECD estimate that cultural tourism already accounts for around 40% of all global travel flows. We are not talking about a niche, but nearly half of the world market. And most importantly: according to the UNWTO, this segment is growing at a faster rate than conventional tourism. In other words, understanding the strength of our identity also means investing in the market that values the experience the most.

The search for a unique experience

We can see that traveller behaviour has shifted. Global trend reports indicate that the majority of international travellers now choose their destinations in search of what the UNWTO defines as "intangible": the culture, the atmosphere, the local way of life, the people, and the creativity.

The social impact of this is direct. Studies by UN Tourism reinforce that when we connect this flow to craftsmanship and local production, we create a development network for communities. That is to say, the territory elucidates its riches and diversifies income for those who make the destination happen: the artisan, the musician, the artist, the local chef.

Strategy to maximise identity

However, to transform these numbers into a constant reality, we need organisation. Brazilian creativity is boundless, but it requires strategic rails to travel further.

It is in this context that I see the importance of sectoral planning initiatives, such as the Plano Brasis (Plan Brazils)—a name that poetically sheds light on this diverse and colourful country. But more than technical documents filled with business strategy, they symbolise a necessary maturation of the sector: the understanding that selling Brazil requires data intelligence and coordination.

Planning serves not to "box in" our culture, but to guarantee it has a stage. It serves to structure the experience for those who visit us and ensures that the wealth generated remains, in fact, with those who preserve our identity.

We build the future together, don’t we?

As someone who moves between public management and the private sector, I believe Brazil’s great leap forward lies in cooperation. The creative economy flourishes when governments, brands, entrepreneurs, trade bodies, and civil society work in a network.

The world has already given us a "yes". Brazil is already on trend. Our homework now is to ensure that this open door leads to a path of structured development. A place where our identity is, at once, our roots, our sensibility, and our wings.