Friday, December 13, 2024
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s vibrant second-largest city and a major economic center in Latin America, is set to host the 19th edition of Routes Americas in 2026. This premier aviation event focuses on enhancing air service development throughout the Americas. The announcement was made in Rio de Janeiro on 12 December 2024, with RIOgaleão, Invest Rio, and the City Government of Rio de Janeiro leading the organization, supported by Visit Rio.
As an essential financial and commercial hub, Rio de Janeiro is known for its robust and varied economy that spans several sectors including energy, telecommunications, tourism, and entertainment. The World Travel and Tourism Council projects that in 2024, travel and tourism will contribute approximately $169.3 billion to Brazil’s GDP, marking a 9.5% increase from 2019, and anticipates growth to $194.6 billion by 2034.
In anticipation of continuing growth, Rio has made substantial enhancements to its transportation and tourism infrastructures. RIOgaleão—Rio de Janeiro International Airport—now connects the city to over 50 locations worldwide. The airport has seen notable passenger growth in 2024, stimulated by an increasing global interest in Rio’s diverse offerings. In the first half of the year, the city attracted more than 760,000 international visitors, a 19% increase compared to the previous year, and the highest number since the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Steven Small, director of Routes, said: “Rio has a proven track record of hosting globally significant events, including the Olympics in 2016 and most recently the G20 Leaders’ Summit. Routes Americas will support the city’s objective to attract even more international events, promote tourism and secure investment through the role it will play in driving air connectivity.”
Small added: “Independent analysis shows that airports in previous host destinations have seen their networks grow by around 6.9% more than comparable airports within three years. With decision-makers from over 90 of the region’s leading and fastest-growing airlines expected to attend Routes Americas 2026, the event offers a unique opportunity for Rio to showcase its remarkable growth potential and strengthen its position as a key player in the global aviation market.”
“RIOgaleão has attended Routes events for the past 10 years and we are delighted to finally host Routes Americas 2026 ourselves. It is a unique opportunity to showcase the destination Rio de Janeiro to airline delegates from all over the world. RIOgaleão is the main gateway for tourism to Brazil and offers plenty of growth opportunities for our airline partners”, said Alexandre Monteiro, CEO of RIOgaleão.
