Gramado Tourism Shifts Focus: Less Disney, More Serra Ga�cha Culture

Gramado, in Brazil's Serra Gaúcha region, is seeking to reshape its tourism image by moving away from comparisons with Switzerland or Disney and emphasizing its own identity, shaped by German and Italian heritage. The city government, together with the tourism sector—which accounts for 86% of the local economy, according to Tourism Secretary Ricardo Bertolucci—has hired branding firms to reposition the destination.

"When I was a child, people said Gramado was the Brazilian Switzerland. Later, they started calling it the Brazilian Disney. But Disney and Switzerland are very different, so what are we today? The obvious conclusion is that Gramado is neither Switzerland nor Disney. Gramado is Gramado, with its own unique history," Bertolucci said.

Settled by European immigrants in the late 19th century, the town still preserves traditions of family farming in its rural areas, producing cheeses, wines, honey, and jams that visitors can experience at places such as Vovó Lucena Platz and Ravanello Winery.

With around 27,000 accommodation beds and 300 restaurants, Gramado welcomed 136,000 visitors in a single day last December. Bertolucci argues that attracting longer-stay visitors is more sustainable: "Rather than having two visitors staying two days each, it's better to have one visitor staying four days. They experience more and put less strain on the city's infrastructure."

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