The forthcoming high season in Ceará should bring over 940,000 visitors to the state, boosting the local economy, jobs and revenue. Significantly, foreign tourism is forecast to increase by over 10% between December and February, the summer season in Northeast Brazil.
Busy high season in Ceará
The latest predictions from Setur, the state tourist board, point to the arrival of over 940,000 people over the summer. This figure is 5.8% higher than in 2022, with a 5% increase in Brazilian tourists and a 14.5% uptick in foreign travellers.
“We’re starting one of the most important times of the year for the tourist sector,” said Yrwana Albuquerque, Secretary of Tourism in Ceará, in early December. She went on to explain that the state expects to reap the rewards of an intense year of promotions. “This work was essential to raise awareness of our destination,” she said.
Big uptick in foreign visitors
Setur highlighted the importance of the 14.5% increase in foreign visitors during the high season in Ceará. The tourist board attributes this rise to the continual expansion of international flights to Fortaleza.
The Portuguese airline, TAP, recently increased the number of flights between Fortaleza and Lisbon, considered the entry point to Europe. From mid-December, ten weekly flights connect the capitals of Ceará and Portugal. This more frequent service is forecast to be a major factor behind the 14.5% uptick in international visitors to Ceará.
More domestic visitors
Brazilian airlines have also upped their game at Fortaleza Airport. The most recent was Latam, which recently announced 240 extra flights during the high season in Ceará.
With the additional services, Latam will bring almost half a million passengers to Ceará from different parts of Brazil. Latam flights will total more than 3,100 take-offs and landings during high season.
Hotel occupancy during the high season in Ceará
Hotel accommodation will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the rise in tourism in Ceará. Setur expects occupancy throughout the state to reach around 80% over the three-month period.
Occupancy rates will get close to 100% at New Year, traditionally one of the busiest times of the year in Ceará. Albuquerque highlighted the excellent choice of private celebrations available at hotels throughout the state.
Sharp increase in revenue
The uptick in visitors will automatically translate to higher in revenue from tourism. The expectations for the summer season are around R$3.3. billion, a figure that represents a 10.4% uptick on the same period in 2022.
“Tourism is a huge industry with significant economic impact in our state’s economy,” said Albuquerque. She pointed out that the tourist sector generates one in ten jobs in Ceará, and demand for professionals is increasingly higher.
(Source: Setur)
