Extreme climate events in Brazilian tourism

the confrontation between impacts and (re)actions

Abstract

This article examines the evolution and impacts of extreme weather and climate events (EWCEs) on Brazilian tourism, their distribution across tourism regions, and the policy responses by public authorities. The study was guided by the following questions: How have EWCEs and their impacts on Brazilian tourism evolved, and what policy responses have emerged to address them? Methodologically, the research combines a systematic literature review with an analysis of data from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT), maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, covering the period from 1990 to 2025. The findings reveal a growing incidence of droughts, wildfires, floods, and landslides during the 2020s, with tangible impacts on tourist destinations and tourism regions. A structural paradox is identified: although scientific evidence and media coverage increasingly highlight climate-related risks and losses, tourism public policies remain insufficient to foster climate adaptation. Moreover, planning instruments continue to be guided by quantitative growth indicators, such as employment, visitor flows, and tourism revenues, remaining misaligned with the urgency of the climate crisis and the commitments established under the Paris Agreement. The study concludes that, despite EWCEs affecting 83.6% of Brazil’s tourism regions, policy responses remain predominantly reactive and growth-oriented.