July vacation boosts the hotel sector across the country, says association

The national hotel occupancy rates for July, the holiday month, are high, according to a survey by the Brazilian Hotel Industry Association (ABIH Nacional).

In the Southeast, the Rio de Janeiro , has an occupancy rate of around 70%, while in Espírito Santo, 65%. The historic cities of Minas should reach 85%, while Belo Horizonte is expected to have 65% of its rooms occupied.

In Sao Paulo , the average occupancy, in the interior of the state, is around 80%. In coastal destinations, the assumed rate varies between 40% and 45%.

According to the survey, the states of Pernambuco and Ceará lead the ranking of hotel occupancy in the northeast region, with around 70%, followed by Piauí, with 69%, Paraíba (68%), Alagoas (67%), and Bahia. (65%). In Maranhão, the expectation is to reach 63%, while Rio Grande do Norte is expected to reach 52% and, in Sergipe, 42%.

In the South, the study indicated that Gramado and Bento Gonçalves are the highlights at this time of year in Rio Grande do Sul and both should reach the end of the holidays with an average of 80% occupancy. In the capital, Porto Alegre, the expectation is that this index will be around 50%. In Paraná, occupancy should reach 75% in tourist cities.

In the Midwest, ABIH informs that some destinations are already traditional at this time of year, such as Caldas Novas and Aruanã, in Goiás. Both are at 100% occupancy.

In Goiânia, the numbers are around 60%, stimulated mainly by shopping and business tourism, as indicated by the survey. Mato Grosso and Tocantins, with 65%, Federal District with 55%; and Mato Grosso do Sul, with 50%, complete the region’s scenario.

In the northern states, the study indicates that Acre stands out, with 70%, followed by Amapá and Pará, with 65% of the rooms sold in the period.

According to the president of the entity, Manoel Linhares, the hotel sector has been greatly affected during the last two years due to the pandemic. However, Linhares says that the research numbers indicate a positive increase in the sector and a good expectation for Brazilian hotels.

“I say the pandemic was brutal for the economy and devastating for tourism. We have 80% of the hotels closed with social isolation. For a venture to survive, it needs to have an occupancy of 50% to 60%,” she said.

“So, with the improvement of the pandemic scenario, Brazilians started to look at national tourism with different eyes because they were unable to go to international destinations. Gradually, we are reaching the levels of 2019. Of course, things change, but the second semester is always better than the first. So I believe that the trend is to have growth in occupations,” he added.

The president of ABIH Nacional highlights that tourism is one of the main factors responsible for creating jobs in Brazil. According to him, it is necessary to take advantage of the moment of growth in hotel occupancy rates in the country to plead with the authorities for better conditions to develop Brazil’s tourist potential.

“Tourism is one of the sectors that employs the most in our country. It generates 10 million jobs and the hotel industry alone generates around 1.6 million jobs. Indirectly, there are 600 thousand people who get a job on behalf of the hotel sector. From the construction site to the hotel facilities, all this creates a position. If every mayor, governor and president looked at tourism, there would not be anyone unemployed in this country,” he said.

For the president of HotéisRIO, Alfredo Lopes, the number of hotel occupancy in Rio de Janeiro is expressive and generates an expectation of growth for the coming periods.

Lopes also says that the rise in the dollar and the value of international air tickets are boosting demand for the city and national destinations this holiday season.

“We have very good expectations for the second half of July. Rio was already having a good occupancy and now, during the holidays, our expectation is to have this number of occupancy throughout the week. In the interior, we have municipalities with 80% guaranteed occupancy this month,” he declared.

“So things are going. I think the rise in the dollar favors national tourism, in addition to the increase in the price of air tickets. A vector that is very important in this period is that many did not take a vacation in the same period last year. So everyone wants to go for a walk with their families. There are many reasons that drive the industry,” he concluded.

* Under supervision of Pauline Almeida