The Mato Grosso do Sul Tourism Foundation (Fundtur MS) is holding this Monday (18), in São Paulo (SP), one of the main strategic actions for promoting the destination in the national market. The second edition of ‘Mato Grosso do Sul: Especial por Natureza’ (Mato Grosso do Sul: Special by Nature) takes place at MASP (São Paulo Museum of Art) and consolidates the state’s positioning with its main source market for tourists in the country.

Performance by Cia de Dança do Pantanal (Photo: Pedro Cleve)

More than an institutional presentation, the 2026 edition offers an immersive, sensory and strategic experience that connects tourism trade professionals with what Mato Grosso do Sul has that is most authentic: nature, culture, gastronomy, art and a diversity of experiences. The initiative reinforces the state’s leading role in Brazilian nature tourism and ecotourism, as well as on the international scene.

The event ‘Mato Grosso do Sul: Especial por Natureza’ invites participants to immerse themselves in narratives that reveal a living territory, marked by the strength of its rivers, its cultural richness and its genuine connection with people. The proposal is to translate, in an engaging and memorable way, the essence of a destination that offers experiences for all ages, all year round.

Program

The program will be spread across a strategic agenda. Between May 14 and 15, commercial blitzes will be held at tour operators in the São Paulo capital, promoting direct relationships with the sector’s main players.

On Sunday (17), starting at 10 a.m., the action “Mato Grosso do Sul invade a Paulista” (Mato Grosso do Sul takes over Paulista Avenue) takes over São Paulo’s main avenue with activations open to the public, and anyone strolling by will have the chance to learn a bit about the fauna of Mato Grosso do Sul. At least that is the playful proposal of the MS Tourism Foundation, which will bring artists from the Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano (South American Moinho Cultural Institute) to perform dressed as a jaguar, caiman, anaconda, jabiru stork, white heron and hyacinth macaws. They will interact with people and hand out gifts with Pantanal motifs to those who correctly answer questions about the destination.

The activation will also feature a tent themed ‘Tourism/Mato Grosso do Sul’ located on the avenue, near MASP, showcasing creative economy and handicrafts from Mato Grosso do Sul. Travel agents will also be present to answer questions about tourism in Mato Grosso do Sul and even offer packages at attractive prices.

Then on Monday (18), MASP will host an intense day of business, training and networking. The program includes a business round between entrepreneurs from Mato Grosso do Sul and tour operators, training for travel agents, and a gastronomy cooking show with chefs Paulo Machado, Marcílio Galeano, Lucas Caslu, Jadi Tamasiro and Juanita Battilani.

On this same day, MASP will receive a jaguar sculpture from Jaguar Parede, which will be live-painted by artist Gui Mancini during the 22nd Salão do Artesanato (Handicraft Fair), an event taking place simultaneously in Ibirapuera. Mato Grosso do Sul is a Jaguar’s Friend and, after the event, will receive the artwork as a legacy for promoting the destination at various events across Brazil and the world.

Still on Monday, the artistic show Guadakan opens the evening’s activities. The Cia de Dança do Pantanal (Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano) presents a glimpse of the indigenous Guató culture and the significant environmental challenges facing the biome. All in the form of dance.

Next, the president-director of the Mato Grosso do Sul Tourism Foundation, Bruno Wendling, gives the official opening of the program, which includes the Talk Shows ‘Acessibilidade é parte da hospitalidade de um destino’ (Accessibility is part of a destination’s hospitality) with Telma Nantes, coordinator of Fundtur MS’s Accessible and Inclusive Tourism program, and Francine Prado, mother of a person with autism spectrum disorder (moderator: Giovanni Venturini); and ‘Aromas, Sabores e Alma’ (Aromas, Flavors and Soul), with chef Georges Schnyder, from Prazeres da Mesa magazine (moderator: chef Paulo Machado).

The musical component is provided by the musical project ‘Pantanal Jam – Sons do Pantanal de Mato Grosso do Sul’ (Sounds of the Mato Grosso do Sul Pantanal), where musicians from the Urbem group transform the sounds of the fauna, the rustling of leaves and the lapping of the Pantanal’s waters into a jazz experience, revealing yet another subtle touristic and cultural richness of the destination.

The event closes with the 2nd edition of the Prêmio Isto é Mato Grosso do Sul (This is Mato Grosso do Sul Award). The initiative aims to recognize professionals and companies that stand out in promoting and marketing Mato Grosso do Sul’s tourist destinations, strengthening ties and expanding engagement with the market.

Audience

Aimed at tourism professionals, the ‘Mato Grosso do Sul: Especial por Natureza’ event is expected to gather around 400 guests at MASP, including operators, travel agents, specialized press, influencers, authorities and industry entrepreneurs. The gathering is establishing itself as a platform for generating real business opportunities, while also broadening professionals’ knowledge and encouraging the creation of new tourism offerings.

Mato Grosso do Sul presents itself with attributes highly aligned with contemporary tourism demands, such as sustainability, authentic experiences and product diversity. In this context, ‘Mato Grosso do Sul: Especial por Natureza’ reinforces the state’s role as a reference in nature tourism, promoting a strategic connection with the São Paulo market, which is the main source of domestic tourists for MS, with direct flights from Guarulhos and Congonhas to the capital Campo Grande as well as to Bonito, a leading destination for ecotourism and nature tourism in the country.

The action, organized by the Mato Grosso do Sul Tourism Foundation, has the participation of partner institutions such as Fundesporte MS, FCMS (Mato Grosso do Sul Culture Foundation), Sesc MS, Sebrae/MS, SETESC (Mato Grosso do Sul State Secretariat of Tourism, Sport and Culture) and the Mato Grosso do Sul State Government, strengthening the integration between tourism promotion, culture and economic development.