Brazil Tourism Names New President

Marcelo Freixo has been named the new president of the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur) and tasked with a top priority of recovering the country’s international image. He was appointed by Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 

After four years of international isolation caused by the irresponsibility of the former government, Brazil will return to the global stage to resume its leading role in promoting dialogue, cooperation, and environmental issues and climate change,” Freixo said. “At Embratur, our mission will be to give Brazilian tourism the relevance it deserves, and that the world expects from us.”

Freixo’s first step will be to reorganize the agency. “We are going to resume the focus on marketing, promotion, and supporting the commercialization of Brazil abroad, based on data intelligence and big data, partnerships with the public and private sectors, investments in innovation, insertion of the sustainability agenda and climate actions and focus on results,” he said.

A former history teacher, Freixo was born in a poor community in São Gonçalo, a city in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. He has served as a congressman since 2018, has been twice named the best parliamentarian in Brazil, and is the recipient of Congress in Focus Award.