Northeast Brazil ranks as the nation’s favourite holiday destination yet again this summer. A survey finds that seven of the ten most sought-after vacation spots in Brazil are in this region. Furthermore, this year sees the first celebrations of New Year since the pandemic and the authorities expect these festivities to mark a turning point in tourism in Brazil.
Northeast Brazil takes 7 out of 10 places
A survey by the travel portal Decolar looked at the most popular places to stay in Brazil in January, the height of the summer season in the country. Based on searches carried out within the portal, the ranking reveals that Northeast Brazil remains a top favourite.
Seven destinations in the top ten are in Northeast Brazil. Maceió takes the highest position in second place, followed by Natal and Fortaleza in third and fourth places, respectively. Porto de Galinhas, Porto Seguro, Joao Passoa and Salvador occupy the seventh to tenth positions.
Rio de Janeiro was the country’s overall favourite. Foz do Iguazu and Gramado joined the Carnival capital in fifth and sixth places, respectively.
Optimism for the summer period
With the return to usual holiday conditions this summer, the Brazilian tourism authorities remain optimistic about the season’s results. “This season looks set to the best in the last few years,” said Carlos Brito, Minister of Tourism. “We expect it to crown the recovery of domestic tourism.”
The tourist board bases its positive outlook on projected figures for the New Year period. Over 10 million people are expected to travel to Brazil’s most popular destinations during the celebrations. They include Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, both forecast to welcome 2 million tourists each.
In Fortaleza, the city tourist board forecasts that around 600,000 people will enjoy New Year festivities in the city. Praia de Iracema will return to centre stage as the main focus of celebrations. As a result, the local economy will receive around R$3 billion in tourist revenue, a figure that expands to over R$6.8 million for Brazil as a whole.
Hotel occupancy also high
Hotel owners are also optimistic about prospects for New Year. Most large cities are predicting occupancy levels of at least 80%. For example, hotels in Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro expect their levels to reach 95%, while those in Florianopolis predict 80%.
“Prospects for New Year are excellent,” said Manoel Linhares, President of the Brazilian Hotel Association (ABIH). “Everything points to one of the best high seasons over the last few years.”
(Source: Ministry of Tourism, ABIH)