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Rio’s favelas become hot tourist destination as visitors seek cultural immersion
Tourists seek authentic favela experiences, boosting local income as Rio welcomed 12.5 million visitors in 2025, including 2.1 million international tourists, officials said.
- As record tourist numbers arrive in Rio, Rio City Hall reports 12.5 million visitors in 2025, with many bypassing landmarks for favela tours to explore neighbourhood life.
- Demand for authentic experiences has grown as influencers and viral content creators helped tourists overcome fear, with Caroline Martins de Melo Bottino noting this shift and Rosalía visiting Rocinha.
- Guides like Vitor Oliveira lead tours starting at viewpoints, showcasing capoeira presentations and artists' galleries, and ending with Brazilian barbecues and drone video services.
- Local guides report tourism has become their main livelihood, with residents of low-income communities turning to tours for income and generating substantial revenue for Rio's economy.
- Beyond stereotypes, favelas now embody Rio's cultural heart, as Rocinha sprawls across a hill with tourists from Chile and France challenging narrow ideas of visiting Rio.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left8Leaning Right3Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Left, 42% Center
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources lean Left, 42% of the sources are Center
42% Center
L 42%
C 42%
R 16%
Factuality
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