A recent announcement by the Secretary for Ceará Tourism set on the dates for the reopening of events, hotels and flights in the state. Ceará officially reopened to tourists in July and since then has been gradually resuming full services.
Brazil’s favourite holiday destination can expect to see all hotels open later this month, events back on the calendar by the end of October and international flights by the beginning of November.
Ceará hotels back on track
According to Arialdo Pinho, Secretary of Tourism, all hotels in Ceará should be reopen by 10 September. He pointed out that many did not close during lockdown. However, the lack of tourists meant they operated at the bare minimum.
This situation has since changed as visitors start to return to the state and hotels are gradually seeing an uptick in occupancy. All establishments have incorporated rigorous health and safety measures in line with covid-19 prevention regulations.
Events rescheduled
Along with tourism, the events sector has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. The industry is particularly key to Ceará tourism and the Congress Centre in Fortaleza ranks among the most important in Brazil.
However, this sector too is returning to business, according to Pinho. Events returned to the calendar at the start of September and will reach full operational capacity by the end of October. The return will consist of four stages, each with restrictions to ensure maximum security for attendees.
International flights to Fortaleza resume
Fortaleza Airport is a major pillar for tourism in Ceará. In 2019, it received the fourth highest number of international passengers in Brazil, up from ninth in 2018. And its wide selection of flights to Europe and America makes it a hub for tourism in Northeast Brazil.
International flights were suspended in mid-March, but are now gradually resuming. TAP (with services to Lisbon) is currently running one flight a week, subject to demand and EU travel restrictions. Air France has just announced that its three-times-weekly service to Paris will be available from 10 October.
For their part, KLM plan to offer flights to Amsterdam from the beginning of November. Air Europa also takes to the skies in Fortaleza from the beginning of November with a twice-weekly service to Madrid and a third flight to be added in early December.
Luxury Ceará tourism
Some sectors of tourism in Ceará have been operating for several weeks now. The Coral resort on the beach in Guajirú is one such example. Villa rentals at the 5-star resort reopened at the beginning of July and the Ocean Lounge beach club followed suit a few weeks later.
The high-end resort has proved popular with Brazilian holidaymakers who, like tourists the world over, are discovering staycations this year. Rentals at The Coral appeal particularly because of its high-end facilities and tranquility. It has a privileged location on one of the quietest beaches in Northeast Brazil. And the resort itself sits in one million square metres of nature that includes dunes, palm plantations and natural lagoons where social distancing is easy.
(Source: Globo)
