Rio’s 2020 Carnaval Should Have 20 Percent More Tourists, with 400 Street Blocks

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to Riotur projections, the city will welcome approximately 1.9 million tourists in the coming weeks, “beating” the 1.6 million mark of 2019.

Although it will only be officially opened on January 12th, with the presentation of the ‘Favorita’ Block in Copacabana, the party started on Sunday, January 5th, with 25 blocks partying in downtown streets. Still according to Riotur, this year Carnival will have “50 days of duration”.

Alongside the unofficial party, although Riotur has not yet completed the exact number, some 400 blocks authorized by the City are expected to hold around 500 parades. Potential route changes are still being analyzed.

Regarding infrastructure, there have been reinforcements. In 2020, there will be seven medical posts equipped with intensive care units (ICUs) in places with a large number of blocks, such as Downtown, South Zone, Barra da Tijuca, Recreio dos Bandeirantes and Madureira. In 2019, there were only six.

There should be a greater number of chemical toilets than last year’s 32,536. This infrastructure is priced at R$27 (US$6.765) million per year and is funded by the beer giant AMBEV, which has guaranteed exclusivity for three years (2018, 2019 and 2020) in the sale of beverages during the parades.

An important observation is that the profile of Carnaval tourists changes in relation to those of New Year’s Eve. Typically, visitors come for the New Year with families, have better purchasing power and stay for less time.

In Carnaval, there are two types of public. One has greater purchasing power and typically stays in hotels with has the formal parades by samba “schools” down Sapucaí as the main focus. The other, younger, prefer cheaper accommodation and stays in the city, spending from seven to ten days.

“The whole city will be busy with fun and joy for us to break new records,” said Marcelo Alves, president of Riotur.

For the state secretary of Tourism, Otavio Leite, the tourist vocation of Carnaval should be explored to its fullest. He mentions the example of the Gramado Christmas.

“In Rio, the street carnaval stands out as a formidable tourist potential. See the example of Gramado, where Santa Claus works 55 days with the ‘Natal Luz’ event, between November and January. That’s why we advocate that the Sambadrome should hold activities all year round,” said Otavio.