Tourist industries around the world were one of the first industries to be affected by the current covid-19 crisis. Some tourist detinations will take time to recover, but some areas have a clear advantage over others. This is the case with Ceará tourism, already looking to get back on track.
Domestic market on the up
The dramatic decrease in flights from international destinations will mean fewer foreign travellers, but all countries can look forward to a surge in staycations. Brazil is no exception and the emphasis for Ceará tourism will be on the domestic market.
“The focus will be on short trips and open spaces,” said Leonel Andrade, President of CVC Corp, the largest tour operator in Brazil. He believes that destinations like the beach and countryside will have a clear advantage in this scenario. Based on this, he expects tourism in Ceará to kickstart sooner rather than later.
Change in priorities
Arialdo Pinho, Secretary of Tourism in Ceará, agrees on the new focus. “The search for nature will be essential for the future of tourism,” he said in a radio interview. In his opinion, people will be looking for holiday destinations where they can feel free especially as a large percentage of the population lives in urban areas.
Ceará at an advantage
One fifth of CVC clients holiday in Ceará and according to Andrade, the state stands to benefit in the return to tourism. “The state is ahead of the competition,” he said, “because it has a good reputation among Brazilians and is a professional sector.”
Pinho shares the belief that Ceará tourism has the upper edge. “We have totally different destinations in Ceará,” he said and pointed out the huge diversity of landscapes in the state. “We have so much variety both on the western and eastern coastlines and there are many undiscovered spots,” he said.
Ceará tourism already selling
Although tourists are understandably cautious about planning a holiday, Andrade reported that CVC is already taking bookings for the New Year festivities. This is one of the biggest events in the Brazilian holiday calendar and shows signs of optimism in the market.
“70% of our holiday packages are in Northeast Brazil,” he explained and said he fully expects this trend to continue. Tourists will prioritise the search for open spaces so hotels and resorts in natural surroundings will have a clear advantage over others.
Return to leading the market
Both Andrade and Pinho agree that although the international market will take time to recover, they both believe that Ceará tourism will return to leading the sector in Brazil.
“We had 45 international flights a week, which is huge for a city in the Northeast,” said Pinho. He pointed out that Ceará welcomed around 500,000 foreign visitors last year, around 10% of international tourism in Brazil. “We were seeing strong growth and we’re working hard to return to that scenario,” he said.
Perfect resort for domestic tourism
The Coral resort on the beach at Guajirú, one of the ‘undiscovered’ spots in Ceará, looks set to take full advantage of the surge in domestic tourism. The resort sits in one million square metres of natural surroundings and right on the beach.
The holiday rental villas at The Coral are already successful with Brazilian holidaymakers and we expect an uptick in lets as the summer season approaches. The vast expanse of beach at the resort offers easy social distancing and low density of people. Demand will also be high from families looking for activities to do with their children in a safe environment.
(Source: O Povo, Mercado e Eventos)
