Travel and tourism have been one of the hardest hit sectors by the covid-19 pandemic. And Brazil is no exception, but like all other popular tourist destinations, the country has turned to its eyes to locals. For the rest of 2020, staycations will be the mainstay of the industry and in some parts of Brazil, domestic tourism is set to explode post covid-19.
Domestic tourism already popular
Most Brazilians already holiday in their own country anyway. The world’s fifth largest country offers a wealth of different locations including miles of pristine coastline. This means that locals are literally spoilt for choice. In 2019, 90% of trips by Brazilians were within Brazil itself.
“The value of internal tourism will undoubtedly be a vital pillar,” the Minister for Tourism, Marcelo Álvaro Antonio, said. He believes that staycations will come into their own in 2020 as “Brazil realises its full potential”.
Surge in domestic tourism
This figure looks set to increase still further in 2020. Lack of flights, quarantine restrictions and weak currency exchange have led Brazilians to look at their country more than ever before. And the most popular places will be those offering sunshine, nature and beaches.
“The focus for staycations will be on short trips and open spaces,” said Leonel Andrade, President of CVC Corp, the largest tour operator in Brazil. According to Andrade, the beach and countryside will have the edge over other destinations in this scenario.
One such location, already a favourite with Brazilian holidaymakers, is Ceará in Northeast Brazil. “People will be looking for holiday destinations where they can feel free,” said Arialdo Pinho, Secretary of Tourism in Ceará. This is particularly true of the millions of Brazilians who live in urban areas. “The search for nature will be essential for the future of tourism,” he said.
Ceará has the edge
Based on these analyses, Ceará stands out from other places in Brazil. Andrade notes that one fifth of CVC clients go on holiday in Ceará. He believes that Ceará will one of the main states in Brazil to benefit from the return of domestic tourism. “The state is ahead of the competition,” he said, “because it is well regarded by Brazilians and a professional sector.”
Pinho agrees and emphasizes the huge diversity of destinations within the state. “We have so much variety both on the western and eastern coastlines and there are many undiscovered spots,” he said.
Ceará also has the advantage when it comes to infrastructure. Fortaleza Airport has one of the best networks of flights in Brazil, both to domestic and international destinations. It receives regular services from Brazil’s largest cities.
Brazilians plan for staycations
From the outset of the covid-19 pandemic, Brazilian domestic tourism has encouraged holidaymakers to reschedule their holidays rather than cancel. The countryside campaign with the slogan, “Don’t Cancel: Rebook”, has been well received and businesses in all sectors of tourism report a high percentage of re-bookings.
Brazilian airlines say that around 85% of passengers have rescheduled their flights within Brazilian to a later date instead of requesting a refund. The figure is similar across the sector for hotels, car hire and holiday packages.
Staycations at The Coral
The Coral resort, located on one of the quietest beaches in Ceará, is well poised to attract domestic tourism. The 5-star resort offers luxury villa rentals for Brazilian holidaymakers wanting to get away from everything (and everyone). After closure due to lockdown, the villas are due to reopen in late July.
Villa rentals are just one of the options available for investors at The Coral, positioned to make the most of the surge in staycations expected this year. Investment opportunity lies in anticipating this demand and catering for the new trend in “holiday local”. Find out more here.
