Searches for hotels in Brazil have rocketed in the run up to the World Cup next year, despite the fact that host cities Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have some of the highest hotel prices in the world.
According to price comparison website Hotels.com, room rates in Brazil shot up by 8% last year to an average of £151 per night. Prices in Sao Paulo grew by 6% to £135, while in Rio they rose 13% to an average of £177 per night.
All of the country’s World Cup host cities have seen double or triple digit rises this year in the volume of searches, said Hotels.com.
Salvador has topped the list with searches increasing 126%, while Fortaleza has seen a 10% increase in interest and enquiries for Curitiba have gone up 82%.
A total of 155,548 Britons visited Brazil last year, a rise of 4%. Overall, the country attracted 5.4 million visitors.
To meet demand during the World Cup, a further 57 hotels will open across the country this year, adding 8,927 rooms, and a further 108 are due to open next year, adding 18,837 more rooms.
However, with some work falling behind schedule, there are concerns that there may be a shortage of hotels when the country is besieged by sporting fans in 2014 and again in 2016 when Rio hosts the Olympic Games, said Hotels.com
"It’s great to see interest is building in Brazil ahead of next year’s World Cup," said Alison Couper at Hotels.com. "While Michael Palin has been an inspiration for many, the country’s booming economy has been a big draw for business travellers.
"As the country gears up for the World Cup, we’re expecting demand to continue to grow. However, with a countrywide programme of hotel building in progress, increased supply should mean that prices stay steady.
"Looking beyond the World Cup to the 2016 Olympics, however, we could find that hotels in Rio are scarce. Although the city is working towards a target of 50,000 rooms, this is half as many as London had in 2012. While prices in Rio will almost certainly be higher than they were in London last year, travellers should still be able to get good value for money if they book early."
