Brasileiros a descobrir Portugal como destino. A arte de influenciar e ser influenciado pelos conteúdos do media sociais

The internet has brought new communication standards, social interaction, and behavior (Castells, 2003). It is increasingly common for people to create and share content through virtual social networks. Some individuals even build a large audience by sharing information and knowledge on specific topics, becoming "authorities" or references for their audience (Belanche, Casaló, Flavián & Ibánez-Sánchez, 2021), known as digital influencers (Borges-Tiago, Santiago, & Tiago, 2023). In Portugal, a significant number of foreign residents, mainly Brazilians, showcase the country's culture, curiosities, and differences compared to their country of origin, and report on their daily work, study, leisure, and family life. Indeed, the Brazilian community is the largest foreign community in the country, representing 30% of the total foreigners, with a number of 239,744 legal immigrants, far ahead of the second, the United Kingdom, with 45,218 immigrants, and also being the fastest-growing. These numbers are from the end of 2022, according to Lusa (2023). The relevance of this study lies in the fact that these Brazilians, through the messages of their videos, may be promoting Portugal as a tourist destination or residence for a community of Brazilians interested in this type of content. Tourism in Portugal is quite significant, being one of the main drivers of job creation and wealth in the country (Turismo de Portugal, 2021). Immigration can be both an asset in peripheral municipalities and for jobs lacking labor, as they are not desired by the Portuguese, as well as a social problem when done illegally and with the possibility of a lack of financial conditions to live decently in the country. Therefore, the objective of this study is to understand the impact of the messages of these Brazilians, who produce content about Portugal, on the lives of other Brazilians and Portuguese society. How do Brazilians residing in Portugal promote the country through social media? How are Brazilians residing in Brazil influenced by Brazilians residing in Portugal? What is the relationship between Brazilians and Portuguese in Portugal? What are the social challenges for the country caused by this phenomenon? To achieve the proposed objective, a qualitative methodological approach with an interpretative paradigm will be adopted. The messages of YouTube and Instagram videos of these Brazilian influencers will be analyzed through discourse analysis. Five influencers who have lived in the country for more than a year and have over five thousand followers on each digital platform will be selected. Brazilians living in Portugal who have changed countries influenced by these individuals will also be interviewed. Participants will be selected using the snowball method. The number of interviewees and videos to be analyzed will depend on data saturation. Additionally, a documentary analysis will be conducted on the context in which these Brazilians live, their relationship with Portuguese society, and the social challenges caused by this phenomenon.