Hotels in Ceará put up the ‘no vacancies’ sign during the first holiday weekend after lockdown. Tourists flocked to the beach destinations in the state and many reached full capacity. The figures augur well for the summer season, just a few weeks away.
Beach hotels in Ceará full
According to figures released by the Ceará Tourism Board (SETUR), the average occupancy in hotels in the state reached 85.7% on the first weekend in September. Many Brazilians took a three-day break to take advantage of Brazilian National Day and enjoy their first holiday after lockdown.
The combination of beach and sunshine was a favourite among Brazilians who travelled to Ceará. As a result, hotels and holiday lets in the beach resorts were very busy. Accommodation in Flecheiras reached full capacity while hotels in Jericoacoara had 97.5% occupancy. Cumbuco, another popular holiday spot, registered 91.4%.
Great expectations for the summer
The tourism industry has viewed the figures for the first holiday in the Brazilian calendar after lockdown with interest. The occupancy statistics will help gauge expectations for the sector over the next few months, particularly for the summer season from December to February.
Arialdo Pinho, Secretary of SETUR, believes that the figures are “good” and show that beach destinations are the most sought-after. After lockdown, Brazilians are keen to get away but prefer locations with plenty of fresh air and nature. Ceará’s Atlantic coastline is therefore perfect as the occupancy figures for the first holiday week show.
Staycations popular
As has been the trend throughout the world, Brazilians are staycationing this year and Northeast Brazil is their favourite to do it. Ceará regularly ranks as one of the most popular places to go on holiday and the latest figures show that despite lockdown, the sunshine state still features as a top location.
“Demand has been intense,” said Julio Borges, Director of La Villa group in Jericoacoara. “We’ve been working at 100% capacity and demand is very high for the next holiday period.” He comments echo those of many hoteliers in Ceará who believe that “tourism is back at full strength”.
Fortaleza quieter for the moment
The preference for quieter beach locations away from the crowds clearly showed in Fortaleza. In the capital of the state, hotel occupancy ranged between 30 to 40% during the September holiday weekend. The usually packed beaches were almost empty according to the local press and many smaller hotels opted not to open.
The lack of foreign tourists – the only airline running international flights to Fortaleza Airport at the moment is TAP – is another factor in Fortaleza’s lack of visitors. However, as the figures for hotels in Ceará show, tourism in beach resorts is clearly back on track and expectations are high for the summer season.
(Source: O Povo, G1)
