About the Hosts

The 19th Routes Americas will be hosted by RIOgaleão Airport, Rio de Janeiro City Hall, Invest Rio, and Visit Rio.

RIOgaleão

Privatized in 2014, RIOgaleão – Rio de Janeiro International Airport (GIG) operates under a 25-year concession and is majority-owned by Changi Airports International, the investment arm of the Changi Airports Group (a twelve-time winner of the prestigious Skytrax World’s Best Airport Award).

Since the concession began, RIOgaleão has implemented an ambitious US$500 million investment program, which included opening the new South Pier in 2016, increasing the airport’s annual capacity to 37 million passengers.

In 2016, RIOgaleão served as the official airport of the Summer Olympics, successfully processing most international athletes, teams, and visitors.  Every two years, RIOgaleão also serves as the official airport for Rock in Rio, one of the world’s largest music festivals.

RIOgaleão offers some of the highest service standards and best passenger experiences among Latin American airports, operating 100% of its flights using jet bridges, 24/7. For the past six years, it has ranked first or second for service quality among Brazil’s five largest airports. RIOgaleão offers passengers 85 food and beverage and retail outlets, featuring 580 international and national brands. Passengers also have access to seven modern international and domestic VIP lounges. Located just 20 minutes from downtown, the airport currently serves 21 airlines (four domestic and 17 international), connecting Rio to more than 23 international and 24 national destinations.

RIOgaleão was the first Brazilian airport to attract foreign low-cost carriers such as Norwegian, SKY, and Flybondi, and now boasts the highest number of LCC seats among all Brazilian airports.

Known for its creative and innovative approach to aviation marketing and traffic development, RIOgaleão received a high commendation for Excellence in Airport Marketing at the Routes America Awards in 2020 and won the National Tourism Award in the “Marketing and Commercialization of Tourism” category in 2018.

Rio de Janeiro City Hall

The Rio de Janeiro City Hall, under Mayor Eduardo Paes, is dedicated to the economic and social development of the city, working to improve the quality of life for Cariocas and solidify Rio's position as a leading tourist destination.  The City Hall operates across various sectors, including health, education, safety, transportation, culture, and tourism, always striving for sustainable development and social inclusion.

Rio de Janeiro is more than just an iconic global tourist destination.  Hosting, leading, and supporting the operationalization of large-scale and mega-events is part of the city's DNA as an Olympic host.  From Rock in Rio and Web Summit to the World Congress of Cardiology (not to mention Carnival and New Year's Eve, two of the world's largest celebrations), Rio is equipped to handle events, congresses, and conferences of any size and type.  With over 40,000 hotel rooms and direct flights to more than 24 destinations across Europe, North and Latin America, the city boasts the infrastructure and connectivity necessary for success.

Home to approximately six million people, Rio de Janeiro is both Brazil's second-largest city and its second-largest economy. Four of the country's five largest companies are headquartered here, making it an economic hub for the energy sector, media, entertainment, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, IT, and, of course, tourism.  Rio is also home to some of the continent's top universities. With over 570,000 higher education students and approximately 1,000 startups, the city is a vibrant centre for innovation and creativity.

Invest Rio

Invest Rio is Rio de Janeiro’s agency responsible for attracting investments for the city. It connects companies, investors, and initiatives to the economic ecosystem, with the goal of developing the city of Rio through the promotion of new investments, encouraging innovation and improving the business environment. For this, it acts as a gateway for companies that intend to settle or invest in the expansion of their ventures in Carioca lands.

Invest Rio provides strategic information that helps investors find the best location for the success of their businesses, and is responsible for attracting major events, actively seeking new businesses and, consequently, helping to promote the image of Rio in Brazil and abroad as the best investment destination.

Visit Rio – Boosting Tourism in Rio

Welcome to Visit Rio, a private foundation recognized as a non-profit public utility entity, headquartered in the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro. Visit Rio’s mission is to stimulate and increase the traffic and permanence of tourists in the city, in addition to attracting the holding of congresses and events of a technical, scientific, cultural and sporting nature, both national and international. With a focus on fostering the local economy, we seek to ensure the growth of the businesses of all our associates, companies in the local tourism sector.