Hospitality sector expands in Brazil as Meliá and Grupo Vilarejo announce growth plans

The hospitality sector in Brazil is seeing significant movement from both international and domestic players. Meliá Hotels International is accelerating its expansion in Latin America, with a specific goal to increase its Brazilian presence from 12 to 30 hotels by 2030. The Spanish network plans to utilize franchises, management contracts, and the conversion of independent hotels to achieve this. A key part of their strategy includes entering the resort segment, with the Northeast region—specifically states like Bahia, Pernambuco, and Alagoas—being primary candidates for their first Brazilian resort.

Simultaneously, the domestic Grupo Vilarejo is expanding beyond Rio de Janeiro, investing R$ 90 million to open its first resort in the interior of São Paulo by 2027. The group aims to establish five new resorts across the Southeast region over the next decade.

Tourism in Bahia is also showing robust growth. The state recorded a 5.9% increase in tourism activity, outperforming the national average. Bahia has also emerged as a prominent destination in the luxury tourism market, with its coastline and Salvador being highly sought after by luxury travel operators.