BRAZIL: HOTEL ROOM PRICES LIKELY TO GO UP DURING THE WORLD CUP

According to a report of the Brazilian government and the country’s tourist board Embratur, hotel rooms in Rio de Janeiro will cost USD 460 on average during the World Cup 2014, twice the amount for hotel rooms in Johannesburg during the World Cup and 50 percent more than the price of hotel room in Berlin which also hosted the popular championship.
The average room price was USD 200 in Johannesburg (-130% than the estimated price in Rio) and USD 300 in Berlin (-53,3%).
Embratur’s report compares actual hotel prices with those foreseen for 2014 and FIFA Match Hospitality’s official lodgment program, which blocked a number of hotels in order to sell the rooms as packages.
In other cities, the price of a Salvador hotel room will go up from USD 75 a night in June to USD 509 in July 2014 (+583%). Increases between 200% and 350% are reported in other cities hosting the matches as well.
This past June, all the while Carioca Beach in Copacabana inaugurated a five-meter tall clock marking the remaining time to July 12, 2014, the day when the local team is going to open the football World Cup in Sao Paulo. Authorities however announced zero tolerance to hotels that plan to take advantage of the event to impose abusive prices.
Brazilian Sports Minister, Aldo Rebelo, warned that there’ll be “no tolerance to hotels that charge abusively” during World Cup 2014. “Those who think they can take advantage of costumers need to know that public power is going to act and may even close hotels because of this,” he said to media.
According to recent files released by Embratur, World Cup 2014 will bring the revenue of USD 10.9 thousand in the 12 cities hosting the matches.
In total, adding the assistance to the Confederations Cup and World Cup of 2014, forecasts point that about 3.6 million tourists, both national and international, are likely to visit the country to see these events.