In 2023, the first year with total normality after the pandemic, the Carnival meant an injection of more than 8,180 million reais (about US$ 1,600 million) into the Brazilian economy, according to the National Confederation of Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC), a figure that could increase up to 15 percent this year. According to the entity, in 2024 the celebrations will open more than 25,000 temporary jobs nationwide, and the tourism sector will be the main beneficiary, with an average hotel occupancy of more than 60 percent.
In the city of Rio de Janeiro alone, the most popular destination among foreign tourists traveling to Brazil during Carnival, the festival is expected to generate R$ 4.5 billion in business. According to the municipal government, the festivities in the capital of Rio represent a third of all economic activity in the country during the carnival holiday. In Rio de Janeiro, the Carnival is expected to bring together seven million people in the groups ( blocos) and parades of the samba schools.
Other capitals are also the scene of vibrant celebrations and massive shows that launch a chain of activities that includes seamstresses, drivers, security guards, cleaning teams, technicians and artists, in addition to the traditional sectors of gastronomy, tourism and commerce. In Pernambuco, in the northeast region of the country, 3.7 million people are expected to enjoy Carnival on the famous slopes of the colonial city of Olinda and 1.6 million in the capital, Recife. In Salvador, Bahia, more than 800,000 tourists are expected to disembark and a turnover of R$ 2,000 million is estimated for the holiday.
In Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, it is predicted that five million people will take to the streets to participate in the more than 500 parades and parades scheduled. There the investment announced for the organization of the Carnival will be 41 million reais, contributed by the public sector (83%) and the remaining 17% by private entrepreneurs as advertising sponsorships. According to the Chamber of Entrepreneurs and Merchants of Belo Horizonte (CDL-BH, for its acronym in Portuguese), the festival will generate close to 1,000 million reais in economic activity for the city.
"Carnival becomes an investment and not an expense, and that is why all our personal, physical and financial investment is destined to make it a reality," the president of Belotur (the municipal tourism body of Belo Horizonte) explained to journalists. Gilberto Castro, at the official opening ceremony of the Carnival, last week.
Public and private financing, together, is a common practice in Carnival festivities throughout Brazil. In the city of São Paulo, for example, this year's celebration will have the contribution of the beverage company Ambev, which will invest R$ 26.6 million as a sponsor after winning the tender that was opened for that purpose last year. .
A survey carried out by the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel) indicates that the sector is expected to bill up to 15% more in this year's Carnival than in last year's, specifically in Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and Recife . "We are excited," declared the organization's executive president, Paulo Solmucci, according to Agencia Brasil.
Currently there are 234 weekly flights from Argentina to Brazilian cities. In 2023, more than 1.8 million Argentines visited Brazil, consolidating Argentina as the country that sends the most tourists to that country. Nearly 60% of the total flow of travelers arrives in Brazil by land.