Debts? Despegar sees search for travel in July increase by 40%; see favorite destinations

Even in the face of a high and pressured income scenario, Brazilians continue to look for trips during the July holidays, but with important changes in the way they consume tourism. This is what exclusive data from Decolar obtained by InfoMoney.

The company recorded a 40% growth in demand for accommodation for the July 2026 holidays, compared to the same period last year. Gramado (RS) and Santiago, Chile, lead the searches among national and international destinations, respectively.

According to Roberto Rizo-Patrón, commercial director of destination products at Decolar, consumers are still willing to travel, but are now planning more and looking for more personalized experiences.

Study abroad

Upgrade your career!

“More and more we see that people travel to have experiences,” said the executive in an interview with InfoMoney. “There are people who travel to do gastronomic, wine and coffee tours. There are groups that travel to enjoy cultural experiences.”

Also read:

In the executive’s assessment, the financial squeeze did not eliminate the desire to travel, but it changed the dynamics of consumption. “The budget is tighter, so tourists think: ‘I want to do something different, I’ll plan ahead’”, he said.

Decolar states that national travel continues to concentrate the majority of searches and demand, although the international scenario has also gained strength with the increase in interest in winter destinations, such as Chile and Argentina.

“We identified a consistent growth in the demand for accommodation during this period, compared to the previous year, with a greater concentration in national destinations. We also noticed a traveler more attentive to the experience throughout the trip, combining the stay with activities, tours and local experiences”, explained Rizo-Patrón.

The company’s data also shows a change in purchase timing: while international trips continue to be planned further in advance, domestic shipments have been decided closer to the travel date.

Read more:

According to the executive, the estimate deals with searches made on the platform, and not sales actually made. Still, he stated that he believes that searches will effectively translate into purchases, impacting the company’s revenue in a positive way.

Favorite destinations

Among the most searched national destinations for the July 2026 holidays on the Decolar website, Gramado appears in first place, followed by São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguaçu. The ranking also includes winter, beach and urban leisure destinations.

In the Northeast, destinations such as Natal, Fortaleza, Maceió, Salvador, Porto de Galinhas, João Pessoa and Recife reinforce the search for a warm climate during the winter.

Abroad, Santiago is leading the search, driven by the snow season. Orlando, Buenos Aires, Bariloche and Paris appear next.

The company also noted a strong presence in destinations in the United States, the Caribbean and Europe, including New York, Miami Beach, Cancún, Punta Cana, Rome, Lisbon, Barcelona, ​​London and Amsterdam.

Check out the ranking of the most searched destinations:

Hotel reservations gain space without air tickets

One of the main movements observed by the company is the growth in the search for accommodation without necessarily including air tickets in the package. “More and more we see that people are just looking to book a hotel,” said Rizo-Patrón.

According to the executive, the movement is related to the increase in ticket prices, caused by the increase in fuel prices.

In April, Petrobras reported a 55% increase in the price of aviation kerosene (QAV), due to the increase in oil seen after the start of the conflict in Iran. At the time, the Brazilian Association of Airlines (ABEAR) stated that the measure would have severe consequences on the supply of air services. Executives from major airlines also project an increase of up to 20% in ticket prices as a result of the War.

According to the ClickBus Road Index, a new index calculated by Fipe (Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas) using the company’s database – which is the largest road ticket sales platform in the country – while bus tickets increased by 7.5% in the last 12 months ending in May, the price of diesel grew by 15.7% and air tickets by 23.2%.

Read more:

In addition to the price factor, consumer preference for booking accommodation rather than air travel is also related to the advancement of land travel since the pandemic, “a period in which people began to discover Brazil by car”.

The executive states that the company has been observing an increase in demand for hotels linked to trips made by bus or car, as well as complementary services, such as car rental and transfers.

In this sense, Decolar’s strategy and positioning have been following this transformation. “Today our flagship, where we are investing very heavily, is in the positioning of hotels. Decolar wants to be seen less as a travel startup and more as a digital travel hub, a collaborative ecosystem of travel-related services”, he stated.

Installments and financial solutions gain importance

In an environment of compromised income, the company also sees payment methods as a competitive differentiator, since the possibility of paying in installments for the entire experience, including accommodation, transfers and tours, helps to boost sales.

Rizo-Patrón stated that Decolar has been expanding investments in financial solutions, including prepayment and payment at destination modalities. “The diversity of payment methods is one of the strengths of the business”, he stated