First post-pandemic Carnival moves the economy of the North Coast

The North Coast of Rio Grande do Sul is preparing to host Carnival in style after two years of the pandemic. On the beaches of Tramandaí, Capão da Canoa, Torres and Pinhal, for example, the city halls have organized programs with musical shows and blocks that run from this Friday (17th) until Carnival Tuesday (21st) to attract tourists. The movement and expectation for the biggest party in Brazil already reflects on the economy of the resorts and, according to the Union of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and Similar of the North Coast (SHRB), the occupation of the hotel sector reached the level of 90% in the beginning this week, resumed compared to the pre-Covid-19 pandemic period. The average spending per tourist this year is R$ 300 per day.

“The movement started a little more timidly. I think that because of economic issues, but also because people have already spent it with end-of-year parties and vacations. Another factor that can contribute is that many children have already returned to school”, considered the union president, Ivone Ferraz. Despite this, she guarantees that merchants and hotel owners are optimistic. “Brazilians leave everything for the last minute, don’t they? We believe that by the end of Carnival we will be 100% full, although the price of accommodation increases at that time”, stated Ivone. This year, she also sees a preference for two-night rentals. “People are preferring to go either on the weekend or on the two days of an optional holiday”, she reflected.

This is the case of Vânia Menezes, a vacationer from Torres, and her family. She rented an apartment on the Airbnb platform at the last minute in the city and intends to spend just three days of Carnival on the coast. “We’re going back on Monday night, because on Wednesday my husband works and we don’t want to be in traffic on Tuesday,” she explained. She claims that the apartment was a “find” and that “that’s the only way they managed to leave the house for the holidays”, after all, with the return of the two children to school, expenses increase considerably.

Journalist Maria Eduarda Romagna will spend the holiday in Capão da Canoa. She says that she started to organize herself a little over a month ago and that, as time passed, the more expensive the stay became. For her, the idea is to spend more time resting with her girlfriend and friends. “It will be like the vacation I haven’t had yet. In fact, it’s the first time I’ve been to the beach since the beginning of the pandemic, so one more reason to enjoy it”, she highlighted.

The president of SHRB also points out that the public varies greatly in each destination and that there are different types of tourists at the Carnival on the coast of Rio Grande do Sul. On the beaches closest to the capital, such as Tramandaí and Capão da Canoa, there is a strong tendency towards floating tourism, with younger people doing the famous ‘bate-volta’. On more distant beaches, like Torres, there are vacationers who own some property on the spot, and tourists, in fact, who rent rooms in hotels and inns. “In both cases, the economy heats up, because the floating tourist, even if he doesn’t spend on accommodation, spends on gasoline, food, sightseeing,” she said.

For the mayor of Balneário Pinhal and president of the Association of Municipalities of the North Coast, Marcia Tedesco, the goal is to at least double the population of cities along the coast. “City halls are organizing themselves, making programs. We are very optimistic”, she reported.

The president of the union points out that the public on the coast at Carnival is focused on leisure, but that, in many cases, it also values ​​rest. “Some go to the blocks, there is that possibility, as you can see in the city halls’ schedule, but most go to enjoy the rest and the beach”, she confirmed.

The coast, as he explains, has this characteristic, even during the whole year. “It is important to emphasize this because some people think that the coast of Rio Grande do Sul is closed in winter, but there are hotels and restaurants open, there are wonderful places to visit and a diverse gastronomy”, he added. The union still believes that the movement will extend until March and April on the beaches.

In Torres alone, according to the entity, around 400,000 tourists are expected for the Momo party, a number ten times greater than the fixed population of the municipality.

The owner of Pousada Baluarte, which started operating in 2019, says he is optimistic about this year’s movement. “During this time of operation, demand has been increasing every year. And this year, the movement has improved a lot due to the Argentines who came in droves with the reopening of the border”, said Daniel Godinho. He also claims that this year the sea is very clean and warm, which has attracted tourists throughout the summer. During the Carnival period, daily rates are 50% more expensive, as well as those practiced on New Year’s Eve.

The manager and owner of seafood restaurant Souza, Vladimir Brognoli, is also looking forward to the holiday. “This is the best summer we’ve had in the last 20 years. The perspective is to have a New Year’s Carnival.”

He projects an audience increase between three and four times greater. “We think we can have up to 600 people for lunch or dinner. This is the second best time of the summer, it is to end with a golden key”, he estimates.