Even with the restriction of street parties in this year’s Carnival, the bar and restaurant sector celebrated the result of sales on the holiday, according to Abrasel, an association that represents the owners of establishments.
In the states of the Northeast and in Rio de Janeiro, the performance was even better, with an increase of 20% to 40% in revenue compared to last year’s event, which was hampered by operating restrictions due to the coronavirus.
In Rio, it was even possible to surpass by 10% the performance of the 2020 Carnival, when the quarantine had not yet been established. The presence of foreign tourists above expectations was also surprising, according to Paulo Solmucci, president of Abrasel.
He says that this year’s Carnival confirmed a trend that had already been noticed in recent months. “The more upscale destinations and establishments did very well,” he says.
Solmucci attributes the reduction in international travel on the holiday, which kept the high-income public in the country.
Cities such as Belém (PA), Macapá (AP) and Tiradentes, in Minas Gerais, were highlighted in the reports of establishments, while in São Paulo and the Federal District, the result was more stable. Overall, according to Solmucci, no region complains of a drop in revenue.
For Solmucci, the most sophisticated places, whether destinations or establishments, had above-normal demand.
“The high-income group, which usually travels abroad on that date, stayed in Brazil and greatly increased their per capita income,” he explains.
In the north of the country, in cities such as Belém (PA) and Macapá (AP), the carnival movement was high and bars, restaurants and inns were full during all the days of revelry.
Also according to Solmucci, cities in the interior, such as Tiradentes, in Minas Gerais, also attracted the high-income public, a situation that helped to further leverage the sector’s revenue. São Paulo and Distrito Federal reported a lower-than-expected carnival and were “zero to zero”.
Joana Cunha with Andressa Motter and Ana Paula Branco
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