One of the busiest seasons of the year is set to register excellent visitor figures for Ceará. According to the latest data from the state tourist board, Ceará should welcome around 305,000 tourists in July. The prediction shows that 2023 is proving to be an excellent year for the tourism sector in the state.
Demand up 6% this year
The Ceará tourist board SETUR recently released its expectations for July, one of the busiest months in the Brazil holiday calendar. SETUR estimates that around 305,000 visitors will choose Ceará for their vacation this month. The figure represents a 6.6% annual increase.
Ceará regularly features as one of the most popular holiday spots in Brazil, and was recently ranked top of the most sought-after destinations. According to the travel portal Decolar, Fortaleza and Ceará were the most searched for in terms of flights in July.
More international tourists in July
As well as Brazilian holidaymakers, Ceará is set to welcome a significant uptick in foreigners this month. SETUR expects an increase of 21.2% in international visitors during July, with around 28,000 arriving via Fortaleza Airport.
Ceará recently announced the return of direct flights from Argentina and Colombia to Fortaleza Airport. “This is the third announcement with three different companies,” said Yrwana Albuquerque, Secretary of Tourism in Ceará. “Our objective is to expand our network of flights, essential to our tourist sector.” These two services join other international flights already in operation.
Fortaleza Airport has the third-highest number of programmed flights in July, behind just Porto Alegre and Rio de Janeiro. As a result, the airport should receive 575,000 passengers during July, up 5% in the year.
High hotel occupancy
Based on the projected visitor and passenger figures, SETUR believes hotels in Ceará will reach around 80% occupancy during July. Levels will be higher in establishments on the coast in beach locations such as Jericocoara and Flecheiras.
The state’s beach resorts are also expected to enjoy high occupancy this summer, in line with their buoyant year so far.
Tourist revenue
Tourism forms a fundamental part of the Ceará economy and the increase in visitor figures comes as welcome news to the sector. A rise in tourists translates to higher revenue and income for locals.
In July, SETUR calculates that tourist revenue will reach R$1.1 billion. The figure represents a 17.9% increase on the same period in 2022.
(Source: SETUR)
