The market for holiday lets in Brazil is relatively young and it’s also one of the fastest-growing holiday options in the country. A recent survey points to Northeast Brazil as one of the best value self-catering locations. In addition, portals advertising bed and breakfast type accommodation in Brazil have seen huge increases in listings and bookings.
Independence Day on 7 September is one of Brazil’s biggest national holidays. A survey by Aluguer Temporada (the Brazilian division of the holiday let giant HomeAway) shows that the Northeast of the country offers the cheapest self-catering accommodation in Brazil with Recife, Natal and Fortaleza occupying three of the four cheapest locations. Only Praia dos Ingleses in Florianópolis offers cheaper holiday lets.
The survey finds that the average price per night for holiday lets in Fortaleza sits at R$492, although rates range from R$230 to R$1,000. The majority of bookings for holiday lets in Ceará are for the capital, Fortaleza followed by other beach locations in the region.
Much of the rise in demand for self-catering lets in Brazil comes as result of last year’s World Cup tournament, an effect expected to be mirrored in next year’s Olympic Games. Owners of holiday lets in Rio de Janeiro are already seeing big interest. According to HomeAway, rental rates during the 16-day event are currently 30 per cent higher than usual with some areas of Rio seeing even higher increases. “The Olympic Games represent a unique opportunity for the holiday lets market in Brazil,” said HomeAway Director in Brazil, Mariana Bastos.
Bed and breakfast or ‘shared accommodation’ in Brazil is also experiencing a surge of interest. One of the largest portals for shared accommodation, Airbnb, reports that Brazil now has over 45,000 listings on their site and that these have received over 450,000 guests – around 100,000 during the World Cup alone. Listings for this type of holiday lets in Fortaleza have risen by 10 per cent.
According to a survey released in August this year by PhocusWright, a travel industry research cosultancy, Brazil leads the world in the use of shared accommodation. The Global State of Shared Space report finds that 18 per cent of the population have rented space in a house or apartment in Brazil over the last year. Brazil shares the top spot with China with other countries such as the UK and US registered half this amount.
The survey reveals that shared accommodation is not necessarily a young person’s phenomenon since one in every three users aged over 35. In Brazil, 69 per cent are between 18 and 34, and 28 per cent aged 35 to 54. The number of nights stay in this type of holiday let in Brazil averages at 8.5 and the majority of users (39 per cent) travel as a couple. 24 per cent are families.
The marked increase in shared accommodation along with the growing popularity of self-catering lets point to a change in tendency among Brazilian holidaymakers. More and more appear to be opting for independent lodging rather than hotels.
Source: Diario do Nordeste, PhocusWright, Aluguer Temporada
