With an eye on the Chinese tourist, who has one of the highest average expenditures per person in the world, a Brazilian state is negotiating flights and a possible air connection with Foz do Iguaçu, after China injected around 20 million dollars into the economy of the State of Paraná last year.

Written by Maria Heloisa Barbosa Borges

Published on 01/06/2026 at 12:56

Updated on 01/06/2026 at 12:57

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On a mission to China, Paraná met with airlines in Xiamen to try to attract Chinese tourists, who have one of the highest average expenditures in the world. The state is negotiating charter flights and studying a direct air link with Foz do Iguaçu, the gateway to the Cataracts.

Paraná went to China in search of a market coveted by global tourism: Chinese tourists, who are among the highest spenders in travel. This Friday (29), a delegation from Viaje Paraná, an agency linked to the state’s Tourism Secretariat, met with airlines and airports in Xiamen, in the Fujian province, to try to open new routes and bring more visitors.

The motivation is economic. According to the agency, just last year China injected about 20 million dollars into the Paraná economy, and the Asian country sends around 150 million travelers abroad each year. The idea is to negotiate charter flights and study a possible air link between Xiamen and Foz do Iguaçu, which provides access to the Cataracts.

Why Paraná focuses on Chinese tourists

The bet is backed by numbers. China is one of the largest sources of tourists in the world, with about 150 million trips abroad each year, and its tourists are among the highest spenders: according to data from Embratur, the average ticket of Chinese tourists reached about 5.2 thousand dollars per person last year. For a state that wants to boost its economy with foreign currency, it’s a market hard to ignore.

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The meetings in Xiamen with airlines

In China, Paraná seeks flight alternatives for the arrival of tourists
Photo: Viaje Paraná

The agenda included strategic meetings in Xiamen, in the Fujian province. The Viaje Paraná delegation spoke with Xiamen Airlines, a company based in the city with a fleet of about 140 aircraft, and also with teams from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, one of the 16 busiest in China, in a country with about 480 airports, more than half of them certified for regular commercial flights.

In these discussions, Paraná presented its structure and explored the possibility of a route linking Xiamen to Foz do Iguaçu. The delegation also requested contact with the tour operators working at the airport, aiming to discuss the offer of charter flights to the state. The intention, according to the agency, is to turn interest into real connections.

Charter flights and the air connection with Foz do Iguaçu

A large part of the strategy revolves around two paths. The first is charter flights, a mode where an aircraft is rented for exclusive use, usually for tourist groups, which allows testing routes without relying on a regular line. The second is a more stable air connection, directly linking China to the state.

For this, the Director of Operations of Viaje Paraná, Marcelo Martini, highlighted that Paraná has airports prepared for intercontinental flights, such as Afonso Pena, in São José dos Pinhais, in the Curitiba region, and Foz do Iguaçu. The investment in charter flights appears as a first step to gauge demand before a potential fixed route, reducing the risk for airlines.

Waterfalls and nature as Paraná’s showcase in China

The negotiation with airlines is part of a larger effort to approach the Asian market. Still this week, the state took Paraná tourism to Embratur’s stand at ITB Shanghai and the 11th Xiamen International Tourism and Leisure Fair, with the Iguaçu Falls as the main calling card, alongside nature itineraries like the Great Atlantic Forest Reserve.

For Viaje Paraná, presence at these events helps position Foz do Iguaçu and Curitiba as entry points for Chinese tourists in the state. The agency’s view is that Asians appreciate the culture and nature of South America, and that the influx of foreign currency can boost the local economy. Therefore, Paraná treats air connectivity as a central piece to turn this potential into a concrete flow of visitors.

The race in Paraná to attract Chinese tourists raises a good question: is it worth investing in charter flights and an air connection with China to fill Foz do Iguaçu, or should the state first prioritize the tourists it already has nearby?

Tell us in the comments if you think the Falls have the potential to become a major destination in Asia.

With an eye on the Chinese tourist, who has one of the highest average expenditures per person in the world, a Brazilian state is negotiating flights and a possible air connection with Foz do Iguaçu, after China injected around 20 million dollars into the economy of the State of Paraná last year.

On a mission to China, Paraná met with airlines in Xiamen to try to attract Chinese tourists, who have one of the highest average expenditures in the world. The state is negotiating charter flights and studying a direct air link with Foz do Iguaçu, the gateway to the Cataracts.

Why Paraná focuses on Chinese tourists

The meetings in Xiamen with airlines

Charter flights and the air connection with Foz do Iguaçu

Waterfalls and nature as Paraná’s showcase in China

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With an eye on the Chinese tourist, who has one of the highest average expenditures per person in the world, a Brazilian state is negotiating flights and a possible air connection with Foz do Iguaçu, after China injected around 20 million dollars into the economy of the State of Paraná last year.

On a mission to China, Paraná met with airlines in Xiamen to try to attract Chinese tourists, who have one of the highest average expenditures in the world. The state is negotiating charter flights and studying a direct air link with Foz do Iguaçu, the gateway to the Cataracts.

Why Paraná focuses on Chinese tourists

The meetings in Xiamen with airlines

Charter flights and the air connection with Foz do Iguaçu

Waterfalls and nature as Paraná’s showcase in China

A giant printer called the “Ferrari” of concrete has landed in Latin America and can already build a 120-square-meter house in just 48 hours, making the traditional construction site look like something from the last century.

Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has ceased to be a climatic phenomenon and has become a biological system that feeds on itself, with 8,000 kilometers in length, 37 million tons of algae, and scientists confirm that it is now permanent.

Brazil will harvest a record crop of up to 357 million tons of grains, but it does not have the capacity to store a large part of it. The storage deficit has reached the highest level in history and is equivalent to almost the entire production of Argentina.

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Philippines begin construction of the country’s largest desalination plant in a city without enough fresh water to grow, and the 66,500 m³ per day plant will transform the sea into drinking water for 50,000 homes in 24 months with reverse osmosis technology from SUEZ and JEMCO.

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