Rio de Janeiro has seen record numbers of tourists, and some visitors are increasingly looking beyond the city’s iconic landmarks for local tours in its favelas, where residents say the areas also reflect urban culture and art.
The influx has inspired some people in low-income communities to turn to tourism for income. One example is local guide Vitor Oliveira, who said he started offering favela tours after noticing an increase in international visitors and that tourism has become his main source of income.
On a busy weekday in late January, Oliveira guided Oscar Jara, a Paraguayan tourist, and his nephew, José Martínez, through Rocinha, described by residents and the tourism market as Rio’s most populated favela. Oliveira typically begins his tours at viewpoints and then takes clients to cultural spots including capoeira presentations and artists’ galleries, with some clients able to end the tour with a Brazilian barbecue on his own balcony.
Oliveira contrasted the city’s mainstream sights with favela tourism in remarks made during the tour, saying, “To come to Rio and only visit Copacabana Beach, the statue of Christ and Sugar Loaf Mountain, you’re not really visiting Rio. You’re visiting a posh and expensive side of Rio,” before adding, “But Rio’s essence comes from the favelas.”
Tourism demand is also tied, guides and researchers say, to the idea of authenticity. Caroline Martins de Melo Bottino, a professor in Rio de Janeiro State University’s tourism department, said people understand that “Rio’s favelas meet these expectations really well.”
As visits increase, some entrepreneurs have adapted to the tourist market. The story describes new bars with balconies and houses with open slabs that have opened for tourists to take selfies in Rocinha, and it also notes that some visitors seek drone video recording services for scenic footage.
Social media has helped spread the appeal. Oliveira said he was approached by hundreds of tourists after appearing in a YouTube video by a Spanish tourist that received thousands of views, and Jara said he was drawn after seeing videos online. Jara said some viral clips gave visitors confidence to come “without fear,” and he described what he was seeing as, “It’s very authentic tourism…not tidied up for tourists, not arranged to show something superficial.”
The report also points to high-profile celebrity interest as part of the wider trend, saying global superstar Rosalía spent the last days of 2025 in Rio and her stay included a trip to Rocinha, where video footage showed her learning the passinho dance step.
Other guides said they are shaping tours to go beyond a quick vacation experience. Cosme Felippsen, a guide who works in his home favela of Morro da Providencia as well as in Rocinha, said many guides tailor tours to go beyond simply drinking a caipirinha, adding, “We’re going to bring people to raise awareness, to tell the history of these territories through the eye of the main character – the resident.”
City tourism data cited in the report points to the scale behind the shift in visitor behavior. Rio welcomed 12.5 million tourists in 2025, including 2.1 million international visitors, according to Rio City Hall, and the number of international tourists rose 44.8% from 2024. The report said the increase generated 7.8 billion reais ($1.5 billion) for Rio’s economy in 2025.