Domestic
tourism in Ceará has risen exponentially over the last 18 years and, as a
result, the state
has returned to pre-pandemic levels of visitor figures. However, the return
of international tourism to Ceará has been slower to take off. Nevertheless,
foreigners are now coming back to the state, as the 54% increase from January
to April shows.
54% uptick in the first four months
Statistics from Fraport-Brasil, the Brazilian Airport Authorities, reveal that Fortaleza Airport welcomed around 85,400 international passengers in the first four months of the year. The figure translates to an increase of 54.26% compared to the same period in 2022.
In Q1 this year, 71.51% more foreigners travelled to Brazil via Fortaleza Airport than in the first quarter of 2022.
“Since the start of this year, the return of international tourism to Ceará has grown,” said Yrwana Albuquerque, Secretary of Tourism in Ceará. “We are working hard to attract foreign visitors and this strategy is paying off as these numbers show.” She also pointed out that Ceará is one of the states that invests most in promoting itself as a holiday destination.
The latest figures follow those for 2022 when Ceará airports almost doubled their passenger traffic compared to 2021.
Most international visitors use Lisbon
The majority arrived from Europe on TAP flights from Lisbon in Portugal. Numbers for those entering the state from Miami and Paris were lower. Ceará currently has four international flight connections, compared to 12 in 2019.
However, Ceará tourism authorities are confident that more international flights will resume this year. They include KLM services connecting Amsterdam with Fortaleza and direct flights from Madrid.
Fifth most popular destination on TikTok
Social media continues to be a popular reference source for tourism in Ceará. To the extent that the state ranks as the fifth most popular destination in Brazil on TikTok.
According to a Brazilian Ministry of Tourism report, Ceará appeared in 893 million searches, placing it in fifth place after Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Minas Gerais. Jericocoara, one of the top beach destinations in Ceará, sits in tenth place with over 75 million searches.
(Sources: SETUR, Brazilian Ministry of Tourism)
