ABAV

What ABAV does

ABAV (Associação Brasileira de Agências de Viagens) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1953 and headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. It serves as the national representative body for Brazilian travel agencies, operating a federated model with 27 state-level chapters (ABAV-AC through ABAV-TO plus ABAV/MG and ABAV/PI) that collectively register 2,474+ travel-agency members. ABAV's primary go-to-market is community-led, growing enrollments through state chapters, an agency-finder website, newsletters, and events. Per ABAV's own material, member agencies account for an estimated 80% of total travel package sales, 60% of hotel reservations, and 92% of maritime cruise bookings in Brazil. Two client cohorts are addressed: a primary B2B segment of SMB travel agencies seeking representation, training, and supplier access, and a secondary consumer-facing segment that uses ABAV's directory to find quality-assured agencies.

The association delivers its offering through a portfolio of sub-brands and programs: the ICCABAV certification institute provides professional training; the annual ABAV Expo is the flagship trade-show event connecting agencies with suppliers and operators; the ABAV Buyers Club supports Brazilian companies selling tourism products internationally; and Brasil Recebe promotes inbound tourism to Brazil. Underlying technology is not disclosed — there is no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capability referenced, and the digital footprint is limited to a website, blog, online agency finder, e-book publications, and newsletter. Distribution is multi-channel, including 27 state chapters, the online directory, social media, and the annual Expo event, with partnerships including Braztoa, Chameleon Travel Shop, and an ecosystem of insurance (Coris, Tz Seguros) and receptive tourism (Luck Receptivo, Clube Turismo) suppliers mobilized during the ViagensPromo disruption.

Revenue mechanics are built on recurring membership dues from associated agencies, supplemented by event-related revenue from ABAV Expo and training-related revenue from ICCABAV. Pricing for membership is not publicly disclosed. The association is governed by an elected board (current term 2023–2026), is LGPD-compliant with a dedicated data-protection contact channel, and operates as a non-investor-funded body with no parent company. ABAV's size is small in headcount terms (11–50 employees at the central level), with operational depth derived from its federated state-chapter structure and broad member base rather than from large internal staff.

Name

ABAV

Legal name

ABAV - Associação Brasileira de Agências de Viagens

Website

https://abav.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ABAV is a non-profit travel-agency trade association founded in 1953 in Brazil, representing 2,474+ member agencies across all 27 Brazilian states through state chapters, the annual ABAV Expo, ICCABAV certification, the Buyers Club international program, and the Brasil Recebe inbound initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Trade Association

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-IATA Air Ticketing Agents (Sub-agents) (THAKALAD)

Keywords

• Travel trade association
• Travel agency membership
• Tourism industry advocacy
• Tourism certification training
• Travel industry events

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: ABAV generates revenue through membership fees from associated travel agencies. Agencies pay to join the association and receive benefits including training, certifications, networking, and access to the ABAV network and events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ABAV (Associação Brasileira de Agências de Viagens) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1953 that represents Brazil's travel agency sector. It provides membership services, professional training and certification through ICCABAV, the annual ABAV Expo trade show, the ABAV Buyers Club for international business development, the Brasil Recebe inbound tourism program, and industry advocacy. Its member agencies account for approximately 80% of Brazil's travel package sales, 60% of hotel reservations, and 92% of cruise bookings.

Product overview

ABAV (Associação Brasileira de Agências de Viagens) is a non-profit association serving as Brazil's primary representative body for travel agencies. The organization operates as a unified membership platform with multiple integrated service modules: core membership benefits and advocacy, the ABAV Expo trade show as its flagship event platform, ICCABAV for professional training and certification, the Buyers Club for international business development, the Brasil Recebe inbound tourism program, a blog/news portal, and newsletter services. Additionally, ABAV maintains a network of 27 state-level chapters (ABAV-AC through ABAV-TO) providing localized representation and services throughout Brazil. The association connects over 2,000 member agencies and represents approximately 80% of Brazil's travel package sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICCABAV: Instituto de Capacitação e Certificação da ABAV Nacional - Training and certification institute for tourism professionals
• ABAV Expo
• ABAV Buyers Club
• Brasil Recebe

Products and services

• ABAV Travel Agency Membership Core nonprofit membership program for Brazilian travel agencies, providing industry representation, advocacy, networking, training access, certification pathways, and inclusion in the ABAV verified agency network across all 27 Brazilian states.
• ABAV Expo Annual flagship trade show and exhibition event for the Brazilian tourism sector, connecting travel agents with suppliers, operators, and industry professionals. Hosted as ABAV's main in-person networking and business-development event.
• ICCABAV Training and Certification Institute Instituto de Capacitação e Certificação da ABAV Nacional — the training and certification arm of ABAV, providing professional development courses and educational programs for tourism sector professionals across Brazil.
• ABAV Buyers Club Program within ABAV Expo that supports Brazilian companies in selling their tourism products internationally, increasing business opportunities in foreign markets through facilitated buyer-supplier introductions.
• Brasil Recebe Inbound tourism initiative promoting Brazil as a destination for international visitors and helping travel agencies offer receptive (inbound) tourism services.
• ABAV State Chapters Network Network of 27 state-level ABAV chapters (ABAV-AC through ABAV-TO plus ABAV/MG and ABAV/PI) providing localized membership services, regional representation, training, and member support across all Brazilian states.

Quantifiable outcome

• ABAV member agencies account for 80% of travel package sales, 60% of hotel reservations, and 92% of cruise bookings in Brazil

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Chameleon Travel ShopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChameleon Travel Shop partners with ABAV to offer specialized packages and support for Australia and New Zealand travel, providing assistance in Portuguese for Brazilian travelers. The partnership enables ABAV member agencies to offer their clients specialized Oceania travel products with local support.
• Braztoa (Associação Brasileira das Operadoras de Turismo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABAV collaborates with Braztoa on industry initiatives, such as the joint response to the ViagensPromo crisis. The two associations work together to develop collaborative solutions and offer NET tariffs to minimize damages to affected agencies and passengers.
• Clube TurismominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClube Turismo, a travel agency franchisor, created a task force to ensure trips for all clients affected by the ViagensPromo situation and guarantees full refunds when services cannot be reissued.
• Luck ReceptivominorOthersTourism supplier that spontaneously mobilized to honor services contracted through ViagensPromo, demonstrating solidarity with the tourism ecosystem.
• CorisminorOthersInsurance provider that spontaneously mobilized to honor services contracted through ViagensPromo.
• Tz SegurosminorOthersInsurance provider that spontaneously mobilized to honor services contracted through ViagensPromo.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA): National trade association representing U.S. travel advisors with advocacy, education, certification, and networking services — the closest functional analogue to ABAV for the U.S. market.
• ECTAA (European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Association): European umbrella body representing national travel agent and tour operator associations — comparable as a federated membership association for the travel agency industry.
• PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association): Asia-Pacific travel trade association promoting responsible tourism development through industry events, training, and advocacy — directly comparable mission to ABAV at regional scale.
• ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents): UK travel association offering membership, training, financial protection schemes, and advocacy for travel agencies — directly comparable scope and service mix to ABAV.
• USTOA (United States Tour Operators Association): U.S. association of tour operators with consumer-protection programs, training, and advocacy functions, broadly comparable to ABAV's operator-facing roles.
• Braztoa (Associação Brasileira das Operadoras de Turismo): Brazilian association of tour operators that partners with ABAV on industry initiatives (e.g., ViagensPromo response); complementary counterpart in the Brazilian tourism ecosystem covering operators vs. agencies.
• CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association): Global cruise industry trade association providing training, certification, and advocacy; directly comparable to ABAV's ICCABAV certification institute within a vertical (cruises, which ABAV members dominate 92% of in Brazil).

Broad incumbents

• WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council): Global tourism industry body representing the broader travel and tourism value chain with advocacy and research — adjacent incumbent operating at a wider scope than ABAV.
• IATA (International Air Transport Association): Global airline industry body whose accreditation and ticketing standards shape the air travel agency ecosystem that ABAV member agencies operate in — adjacent incumbent covering the upstream supplier side.

Regional players

• Embratur (Agência Brasileira de Promoção Internacional do Turismo): Brazilian government tourism promotion agency with overlapping Brazil inbound-tourism mandate and partnerships with ABAV on programs like Brasil Recebe — comparable as a regional tourism stakeholder in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/abavnacional
• Facebookfacebook.com/AbavNacional
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abav

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ABAV