Less than two weeks after Brazil waived short-stay visa requirements for Chinese citizens, Tourism Minister Gustavo Feliciano landed in Beijing to court the world’s largest outbound market. Speaking to the China Association of Travel Agencies on 25 May, Feliciano outlined new direct-flight incentives for carriers willing to add frequencies to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Manaus, and promised expedited landing-slot approvals for charter operators during China’s October Golden Week.
![Brazil launches tourism charm-offensive in China after dropping visa requirement]()
For travelers who still need documentation—such as business visas that fall outside the new 30-day waiver—services like VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides real-time requirements, application reviews, and courier handling for Brazilian consulates worldwide, helping applicants avoid delays while policies evolve.
The mission is Brazil’s first high-level tourism road-show in China since the pandemic. It builds on a bilateral agreement—effective 11 May 2026—that allows ordinary Chinese passport-holders to enter Brazil visa-free for up to 30 days, renewable to 90 days within 12 months. According to Ministry of Tourism data, Chinese arrivals hit 39,800 in the year’s first four months, up 33.6 percent on 2025. The government expects the waiver to double arrivals to 200,000 by 2028, worth an estimated US $450 million in spend, if air capacity recovers. Feliciano met China Eastern, Air China and Southern Airlines executives to discuss restoring pre-COVID Shanghai–Guarulhos services and launching a Guangzhou–Recife route timed to feed the northeast beach circuit. Embratur, Brazil’s promotion agency, will open a Shanghai office in July and roll out Portuguese-language training grants for Chinese tour leaders. Analysts say the move is as much about business travel as leisure. “Every major Brazilian commodity trader now hosts Chinese procurement teams; scrapping visas removes a friction point in closing deals,” noted José Monteiro of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. Hotel groups like Accor and Wyndham have already announced ‘Ni Hao’ welcome programmes with UnionPay acceptance and congee stations at breakfast. Airlines are watching yields. LATAM’s revenue-management head, Camila Schmidt, told reporters that a Shanghai–São Paulo flight needs at least 70 percent load factors with blended leisure-cargo demand to be viable. The ministry counters that reciprocity is on the table: Brazil is negotiating fifth-freedom rights that would let Brazilian carriers tag on to Seoul or Tokyo, creating new outbound options for Brazilian exporters. If talks succeed, Brazilian companies could see simplified crew visa procedures and new cargo corridors by 2027.
For travelers who still need documentation—such as business visas that fall outside the new 30-day waiver—services like VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides real-time requirements, application reviews, and courier handling for Brazilian consulates worldwide, helping applicants avoid delays while policies evolve.
The mission is Brazil’s first high-level tourism road-show in China since the pandemic. It builds on a bilateral agreement—effective 11 May 2026—that allows ordinary Chinese passport-holders to enter Brazil visa-free for up to 30 days, renewable to 90 days within 12 months. According to Ministry of Tourism data, Chinese arrivals hit 39,800 in the year’s first four months, up 33.6 percent on 2025. The government expects the waiver to double arrivals to 200,000 by 2028, worth an estimated US $450 million in spend, if air capacity recovers. Feliciano met China Eastern, Air China and Southern Airlines executives to discuss restoring pre-COVID Shanghai–Guarulhos services and launching a Guangzhou–Recife route timed to feed the northeast beach circuit. Embratur, Brazil’s promotion agency, will open a Shanghai office in July and roll out Portuguese-language training grants for Chinese tour leaders. Analysts say the move is as much about business travel as leisure. “Every major Brazilian commodity trader now hosts Chinese procurement teams; scrapping visas removes a friction point in closing deals,” noted José Monteiro of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. Hotel groups like Accor and Wyndham have already announced ‘Ni Hao’ welcome programmes with UnionPay acceptance and congee stations at breakfast. Airlines are watching yields. LATAM’s revenue-management head, Camila Schmidt, told reporters that a Shanghai–São Paulo flight needs at least 70 percent load factors with blended leisure-cargo demand to be viable. The ministry counters that reciprocity is on the table: Brazil is negotiating fifth-freedom rights that would let Brazilian carriers tag on to Seoul or Tokyo, creating new outbound options for Brazilian exporters. If talks succeed, Brazilian companies could see simplified crew visa procedures and new cargo corridors by 2027.
