The city of Rio de Janeiro, famous for its beautiful beaches and Christ the Redeemer – one of the New 7 Wonders of the World – shows that hotel occupancy during Carnival exceeds 91% in the capital and 80% in the interior of the state of Rio de Janeiro, as reported this Thursday, February 12, by the Municipal Housing Association of Rio de Janeiro (HotéisRIO) and the Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry of Rio de Janeiro (ABIH-RJ).
The region with the highest occupancy rate extends from Glória to Botafogo (96.91%), followed by Ipanema/Leblon (96.19%), Centro (95.42%), Leme/Copacabana (94.63%) and Barra/Recreio/São Conrado (86.97%). Last year, occupancy during the Rio Carnival reached 98.62%.
During the period from February 20 to 21, when the Parade of Champions is held, the average occupancy rate in the capital is also high, with a forecast of 85.13%. The areas of Leme/Copacabana (97.14%), Ipanema/Leblon (95.69%), Glória a Botafogo (87.55%), Centro (82.66%) and Barra/Recreio/São Conrado (77.24%) stand out.
According to Agencia Brasil, the president of HotéisRIO, Alfredo Lopes, pointed out that Carnival is the main holiday in Rio de Janeiro due to the longer stay of visitors, compared to New Year’s Eve. “This longer stay translates into full hotels and good results for the tourist chain (bars, restaurants and shopping centers), with benefits for the city’s income. Our expectation is to exceed last year’s figures. The growth of international tourism will undoubtedly contribute to this,” he estimated.
Other regions
In the interior of the state, the ABIH-RJ study for Carnival 2026 reveals an average occupancy rate of 80.71%. The municipalities with the highest averages are Arraial do Cabo and Miguel Pereira, both with 93.40%, followed by Angra dos Reis (90.30%), Paraty (83.70%), Armação dos Búzios and Nova Friburgo (both with 81.80%), Rio das Ostras (79.20%), Cabo Frio (78.80%), Valença/Conservatória (78.40%), Vassouras (78.20%), Barra do Piraí/Ipiabas (77.80%), Teresópolis (75.60%), Macaé (73.60%), Petrópolis (72.40%) and Itatiaia/Penedo (72.30%).
The president of the association, José Domingo Bouzon, stressed that the high tourist demand during Carnival also has an impact on the interior hotel network. “Across the state, hotels and inns offer visitors a first-class infrastructure, with various leisure options and programming adapted to the festivities, which attracts numerous tourists.”