Kitsch crowd-pleasing tourism leads in post-pandemic Brazil

Gramado, a mountain town in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, is big on tourism — known locally as being “just like Europe.” In winter, the resort is crowded with honeymooners and families with children stuffing their faces with chocolate fondue.

The end-of-year highlight is a snow-covered Christmas — although it hasn’t snowed in Gramado in ten years, and certainly never in December, at the height of summer in the southern hemisphere.

Encircled by stunning valleys and waterfalls, the once-quiet city has come to resemble Las Vegas in recent years, with gaudy outdoor advertisements for tourist attractions unrelated to the region, such as wax museums and parks with artificial snow and ice skating.

Activities are designed to please as many tourists as possible. Consequently, Gramado became Brazil’s most popular destination for the July school holidays and one of the year-end champions, receiving up to 7 million tourists a year.

While the city attracts all sorts, most visitors are middle to lower-middle class and stay for roughly three days, according...