Northeast Brazil provides a compelling destination for thousands of tourists every year and, as a result, it ranks as the nation’s top holiday spot. It’s therefore unsurprising to discover that almost all visitors to Ceará plan to return to this corner of the country.
95.6% plan to visit more than once
A recent survey carried out by the Ceará Tourist Board (SETUR) reveals that almost all visitors to the state want to make a return trip. The percentage of tourists planning to go back reaches 95.6%.
The survey interviewed tourists who visited Ceará between December 2022 and February 2023, and almost all of them said that they would like to make another visit to the state.
Family tourism reigns supreme
The survey also revealed that most visitors to Ceará are couples or families. In addition, the vast majority fall into the 26 to 50 year-age group.
Northeast Brazil continues to be the biggest market for tourism in Ceará since 40.23% of visitors come from the region. The next largest share comes from Southeast Brazil, whose visitors form 31.3% of the total.
Foreign visitor figures are rising slowly as international flights resume to Ceará. In the last high season, Portugal was the principle country of origin (22.9% of international visitors). France and Italy took second and third places, with 17.17% and 16.16%, respectively.
Overall rise in tourism
According to SETUR, around 870,000 people visited Ceará in the three months from December to February. The figure is 8.5% highest than the same period a year ago.
Data from the Brazilian Statistical Institute (IBGE) reflect this increase throughout the year. According to the latest figures, the volume of tourist activities rose by 36.7% in 2022 compared to 2021. In addition, it reached the highest levels since records began in 2012. As a result, tourism in Ceará has now surpassed pre-pandemic figures.
Hotel industry benefits
The uptick in visitor figures and spending benefitted hotels in Ceará. The sector saw a 9.3% rise between December and February, with revenue of R$3.2 billion, up 17.4% on 2021. Occupancy reached 78.2%.
Most visitors chose hotel or managed villas and apartments as their accommodation. Just 38% chose to stay with family or friends.
(Sources: SETUR, IBGE)
