The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism believes that the positive numbers of carnival tourism sector emphasize the importance of the holiday for the economy of all regions.
The Carnival revelry worked as a dynamo for the economy, generated jobs and attracted visitors in all regions of Brazil.
In Salvador, for instance, traditionally one of the key destinations for carnival tourism, the hotel occupancy rate reached 95% throughout the holiday season, hence generating 200 thousand temporary jobs. Bahia’s Secretariat of Tourism (Setur) estimates that 600 thousand tourists have visited the Bahian capital city, an increase of 9% in comparison with the previous year of 2016. Of these, 10% have come from abroad. 2 million visitors were registered throughout the state, a number responsible for pumping R$ 1,5 billion into the Bahian economy.
This was not the only Northeastern state to register a high demand for hotels thanks to carnival tourism. Most destinations in the region averaged a hotel occupancy rate of 90% throughout the holidays.
In Alagoas, 90% of its 31 thousand beds were booked during the carnival, with Sergipe registering the very same number. In Paraíba, 200 thousand tourists were responsible for an occupancy rate of about 95%. Ceará welcomed about 112 thousand tourists, with these pumping a direct revenue of approximately R$ 140 million into the state’s economy. The whole carnival tourism productive chain of Ceará was responsible for generating R$ 230 million, an increase of around 10% in comparison with the previous year of 2016. The hotel occupancy rate was 84% during this period.
In Rio Grande do Norte, the average occupancy rate was 89% during the festival. The state of Recife, which will probably close its balance sheet next week, expected an occupancy rate of 95%, amassing a total of R$ 1,2 billion for the economy of Pernambuco. In São Luís, the five days of the holiday season generated 1.450 informal jobs. Of these, 950 worked for the revelry’s official circuits.
“These positive numbers prove how important the carnival is, working as a dynamo for the national tourism, generating jobs and revenue. We expect to grow even more and, for this, we are making a strong investment in professional training and carnival tourism infrastructure,” Marx Beltrão, the minister of Tourism, said.
The preliminary survey, conducted by São Paulo Turismo (SPTuris), indicates that the revelers who chose the capital to enjoy the carnival spent more money in 2017, an increase of 55% in comparison with the holiday season of 2016. The average expense increased from R$ 617 to R$ 957 in three days of celebrations. The number of tourists in Sambódromo and in the street carnival also increased by 167.5% and 203%, respectively. São Paulo witnessed a growth from 7.7% in 2016 to 20.6% in 2017, in the number of tourists that were part of the country’s most popular celebration.