Bruno Reis, the former director of international marketing, business and sustainability at Brazil’s tourism agency Embratur has been appointed as the new president of the organisation.
The appointment was formalised in a decree published in an extraordinary edition of the Official Gazette of the Union (DOU) and confirms Reis as the replacement for Marcelo Freixo, who steppped down on 31 March in order to run for a seat as a federal deputy for Rio de Janeiro.
Bruno Villa, Freixo’s chief of staff, becomes the new director of marketing, business and sustainability at Embratur.
Reis said the moment provided an “opportunity to continue a collective effort”, emphasising the magnitude of the challenge of maintaining Brazil’s international tourism at a high level. 2025 broke all records with 9.3m international visitors injecting US$ 7.9bn into the country’s economy.
“I intend to lead by listening, through dialogue, and in partnership with the trade, so that we can continue collaborating on the international promotion of Brazil in a very professional and assertive manner,” said Reis.
He added: “I have always believed in the tourism industry, ever since I joined Embratur in 2005, 21 years ago, as an intern.”
Villa added that he would beworking based on market intelligence, extensive dialogue with the Brazilian and international tourism industry, and in constant coordination with public managers from municipalities, states, and the federal government.
Photo: Renato Vaz/ Embratur
