Afrotourism in Brazil is consolidating its presence outside the country thanks to the institutional strengthening of the sector, the training of tourism businesses, and the dissemination of Afro-Brazilian culture, coordinated between the entrepreneurs and Embratur, the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion.
As this public body has detailed in a press release, this progress has been reinforced with the signing of a technical cooperation agreement with the Brazilian Association of Afrotourism (Abrafro), established last January and already bringing together 27 companies.
"We want the world to know Brazil also through the stories, knowledge, and traditions that make up our identity. Afro-Brazilian culture is one of the greatest expressions of our diversity and a differentiating element of the country in international tourism," said Tania Neres, coordinator of Afrotourism, Diversity and Indigenous Peoples at Embratur.
"Our work consists in ensuring that this cultural richness translates into more opportunities for entrepreneurs, generation of income in communities, and new experiences for visitors," she added.
In this line, Brazil's 'stand' at the World Travel Market (WTM), held in London at the beginning of November, for the first time incorporated two spaces devoted to afrotourism: Abrafro's and that of the Rio-based agency Etnias Turismo, which participated in a "strategic" way in Río de Janeiro's 'Black Travel Summit'.
Among the standout actions is the training program "From Territory to the World," focused on the international projection of tourism projects. Throughout 2026, the open activities promoted by Abrafro reached more than one thousand beneficiary people.
Concrete commercial results have also started to be recorded, such as those obtained at ABAV Expo, a business fair focused on afrotourism and ethnotourism that led to 126 meetings with an estimated potential of 2.45 million reais (392,980 euros).
"We have worked to organize the sector, train Black entrepreneurs, and prepare cultural and community experiences to reach new markets, [...] generating income and development in the territories," Abrafro's president, Hubber Clemente, said.
International summit in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro will be the venue, from November 23 to 25, for the III Global Conference on Afrotourism and Sustainability, which expects to bring together around 500 attendees, including delegations from more than 15 countries in Africa, America and Europe, as well as specialists, institutional representatives, academics and entrepreneurs.
Among the main results expected from the event is the International Declaration of Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of Afrotourism, which will establish commitments and define joint actions among the participating states with a view to future bilateral agreements for the promotion of destinations and technical exchange.