Further confirmation that tourism in Ceará is well back on track after the pandemic came with the figures for activity in the state last year. According to the latest data, tourist activity in Ceará grew by 36.7% in 2022, the second-highest uptick in the country. Furthermore, levels in June surpassed those registered in 2019, proving that Ceará is experiencing a solid recovery in the tourism sector.
Second-highest growth in Brazil
Tourism in Ceará has grown exponentially as borders have gradually opened and Covid restrictions been removed . In 2022, activity within the sector increased by over a third compared to 2021. The 36.7% growth exceeded the national figure of 29.9% and was the second highest in Brazil. In addition, it almost doubled the increase of 19.5% registered in 2021.
The graph below shows the evolution of tourism in Ceará since 2012. The sector began with modest growth over a decade ago and has gradually consolidated its development. Significantly, Ceará tourism has consistently increased ahead of Brazil.
The Ceará tourist sector also outperformed its competitors in Northeast Brazil, with considerably higher figures. For example, Bahia saw 23.4% in tourism and Pernambuco 16.1%, confirming holidaymakers’ preference for Ceará within the region.
Ahead of pre-pandemic levels
Furthermore, Ceará showed the strength of its tourist activity in June last year when levels exceeded those registered in 2019. The peak of visitors during this month was ahead of the pre-pandemic rate, confirming that the sector is well on the way to a full recovery.
Airports in the state saw a 45% increase in passenger traffic last year, with domestic travellers returning almost to numbers last seen in 2019. And according to a Booking.com survey, Ceará was the nation’s favourite holiday destination in 2022.
High season highs
A survey by the Ceará Tourist Board (SETUR) revealed excellent figures for the most recent high season. From December 2022 to February this year, some 870,000 holidaymakers visited Ceará, 8.5% more than the same period a year earlier.
Almost all of them expressed the desire to return to Ceará for another holiday after their experience in the state.
Most visitors (40.23%) came from Northeast Brazil, with the second-largest group (31.3%) from the Southeast. Foreign tourists are also gradually returning and, during the three-month high season, most came from Portugal, followed by Italy, France and Argentina.
The hotel sector also benefitted from the high season high. Its activity grew y 9.3% between December and February, and its revenue soared by 17.4% to reach a total of R$3.2 billion. Occupancy levels stood at 78.2%, with the majority of tourists choosing to stay in hotels or managed villas and apartments.
(Sources: IBGE, SETUR)
