With the cancellation of the street blocks for Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the hotel sector is already feeling the impacts. The Brazilian Federation of Accommodation and Food estimates that occupancy, previously projected at 85%, will reach a maximum of 75%. Losses extend to the price of overnight stays.
“Inexorably, hotels will have to reduce prices to still maintain some interest in accommodation. Not to mention that some clients, who have already deposited guarantees, can ask for money back”, evaluated the president of the federation, Alexandre Sampaio.
Carnival is the period of the year when there is the greatest movement of tourists in the city of Rio, even surpassing New Year’s Eve.
Faced with a new increase in Covid-19 cases and the confirmation of community transmission of the Ômicron variant, Rio joins seven other Brazilian capitals that will not have street Carnival this year.
The Rio de Janeiro Accommodation Means Union (HotelsRIO) is a little more optimistic for the date. President Alfredo Lopes considers that the cancellation was already expected and that, even though the occupation does not reach the level before the pandemic, the numbers are not considered bad.
“Last year, when we had a Carnival without any Carnival, Rio de Janeiro had an 80% hotel occupancy rate. In other words, people came here as a family, looking for what the city has. They came through the city, for entertainment, tourist attractions”, he pointed out.
The positivity rate of coronavirus infections in Rio de Janeiro is 13%, according to the Municipal Health Department. The percentage is almost three times higher than recommended by specialists from UFRJ and Fiocruz, in a technical note released for a safe carnival.
The document points out five indicators for the event. So far, the city meets only two of the criteria: an contagion rate below the minimum of 1, although above the ideal, which would be 0.5, and the waiting list, which should not exceed three people per day, waiting at most an hour.
Blocks in closed areas
The city of Rio offered an alternative to the blocks, which was rejected. Three closed places, such as parks, would be chosen for the parade of the main groups. The Independent Association of the Zona Sul, Santa Teresa and Downtown Blocks (Sebastiana) will meet this Thursday (6) to discuss a counterproposal.
According to the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, the closed parades would take place with protocols, such as the requirement of proof of vaccination and mandatory testing.
The hotel sector hopes that there is a consensus between organizers and public authorities for events to help maintain part of the accommodation.
“It will be very bad. We are still hoping that the mayor’s proposal to take the street revelry to public parks will be accepted by the organizers”, said Sampaio.
Reference: CNN Brasil
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