Brazil Dominates Global Travel Trajectory as 68.2 Per cent of Voyagers Forecast Expansive Itinerary Growth

Brazil has been revealed as the main market for expected travel growth according to a recent international tourism study, with 68.2 per cent of respondents from Brazil stating their intention to travel more over the coming 12 months compared to the last year, 2025. The result puts Brazil ahead of other major markets, such as South Africa and India, and underscores the high level of outbound travel intentions expressed by consumers in Brazil. The results are found in IDEAS That Travel: How Tourism Brands Win the Race for Tomorrow’s Customers, a report issued by TOURISE, with LIONS Advisory, on 21 October 2026. The study investigates changing travel intentions, discovery of destinations, customer expectations, and creativity in tourism marketing. While the results suggest a strong outlook for Brazil’s travel industry, the data represents expected travel and not booked travel, airline capacity, or corporate travel demand.

Brazil Leads the International Travel Growth Rankings

Brazil recorded the highest proportion of respondents expecting to increase their travel activity among the markets examined in the report. South Africa followed at 63.7%, while India registered 63.1%. These results place three emerging travel markets at the top of the study’s country-level rankings.

The findings suggest that Brazilian consumers could represent an important source of future demand for international destinations, airlines, hotels and travel businesses. Increased travel intentions may create opportunities for operators offering international holiday packages, flight connections, accommodation and destination experiences.

However, the 68.2% result should not be interpreted as a forecast that Brazilian outbound passenger numbers will rise by the same percentage. It represents the share of respondents who said they expected to travel more, not the projected percentage increase in total trips or passenger traffic.

The report also does not identify the figure as a corporate travel statistic. Its survey covers international travellers, meaning the results reflect broader consumer travel intentions rather than a separate measurement of business travel demand.

Research Covers 8,374 International Travellers

The study draws on an online survey of 8,374 people across 13 markets who had travelled internationally during the 12 months before the research. The survey was conducted in December 2025, with additional insights from interviews with industry leaders and analysis of marketing research and case studies.

Across all surveyed markets, 39% of respondents expected to travel more over the following 12 months than they had in 2025. The proportion increased to 51% among Generation Z travellers and 47% among millennials, indicating stronger anticipated travel activity among younger age groups.

The report also found that 46% of respondents expected to spend more on travel. This points to an opportunity for tourism companies to attract not only more frequent travellers but also customers considering higher expenditure on their journeys.

Brazil’s result is particularly notable against the overall figure of 39%. The difference suggests that travel intentions among the surveyed Brazilian respondents are considerably stronger than the combined expectation across the 13 markets.

Nevertheless, the research measures what respondents said they intended to do. Economic conditions, currency movements, airfares, household budgets and geopolitical developments could influence whether those plans become actual trips.

Social Media Shapes How Travellers Discover Destinations

The report identifies a significant change in how people discover travel opportunities. Social media and video platforms were the leading sources of travel inspiration, cited by 33% of respondents. Friends and family followed at 31%, while search engines accounted for 26%.

The influence of social platforms was particularly pronounced among younger travellers. Among Generation Z respondents, 45% identified social media and video platforms as their leading source of travel inspiration.

For tourism businesses targeting Brazilian travellers, the findings highlight the importance of destination storytelling, accessible travel information and content that reflects genuine visitor experiences. Traditional advertising alone may not be sufficient to attract attention when consumers increasingly discover destinations through digital platforms and personal recommendations.

The report also found that 60% of travellers believe many tourism advertisements look similar. Meanwhile, 43% said they find it difficult to distinguish between travel brands, and 50% could not remember the last advertisement they had seen for a tourism company or destination.

These findings point to a marketing challenge for airlines, hotels, travel agencies and tourism boards seeking to convert rising interest into bookings.

AI and Trust Influence Travel Planning

Artificial intelligence is becoming another part of the international travel planning process. According to the report, 55% of respondents already use AI when planning holidays, while 62% expect to use it more frequently over the next year.

The research also identifies concerns about the reliability of travel information. Some 55% of respondents said they find it difficult to locate trustworthy information when planning a trip. This creates an opportunity for tourism brands and destination authorities to provide accurate details about transport, accommodation, attractions, local experiences and travel requirements.

Official tourism websites, recommendations from friends and family, customer reviews and credible travel content remain important sources for travellers checking information before making decisions.

For Brazil’s outbound tourism market, these changes could influence how consumers compare destinations, research flight options and organise international holidays.

Five Priorities for Tourism Brands

The IDEAS model is described in the report and this model is based on five key components: Investment, Distinctiveness, Engagement, Authenticity and Seamlessness. The report calls for tourism brands to stay visible, develop a recognisable identity, create an engaging story, communicate real experiences and simplify the customer journey. Examples include Airbnb, Tourism Australia, Visit Sweden, Visit North Carolina and Southwest Airlines, which demonstrate the connection between marketing efforts and the experience of consumers. Given that Brazil stands out as the country showing the highest travel intentions in the report, airlines, hotels, destination marketing organisations, and travel firms could take this market more seriously. It remains to be seen whether the increased interest of Brazilian travellers will be accompanied by an actual increase in the number of passengers.