Cruise tourism expected to generate US$ 18 million during Carnaval in Rio

Fourteen ocean liners are expected to arrive in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) during the Carnival period. Approximately 50 thousand people should arrive in Rio de Janeiro through Pier Mauá, in the city's port area, by 28 February.

Most vessels are expected to arrive next Sunday, in a total of seven transatlantic ships moored on site. On that day alone, the local government estimates that 35.000 tourists will arrive in the city, including passengers and crews. On Sunday (19), over 4.000 passengers arrived at the Pier from the city of Santos. When the cruise leaves Rio, it will head to Salvador.

Alexandre Gomes, operations manager at the marine terminal, estimates that around US$ 18 million will be injected into the city's economy. “Carnival is quite a large operation, comparable to a mega-event," he stated.

“Meetings are required with Rio Tur, Cet-Rio, Concessionária Porto Novo, the Internal Revenue Service, Companhia Docas and the Federal Police to ensure operations will be as smooth as possible - not only on port grounds, but also outside the Olympic Boulevard and in the vehicle access route," he said.

The number of employees has been quadrupled for this period. They work in activities such as terminal operations, traffic, baggage transport, security, among others.

By April this year, 93 vessels are expected to dock at Pier Mauá with around 350 thousand people, including passengers and crews, who are estimated to inject US$ 105 million into the city's economy. These calculations are based on a daily average spending of US$ 300 per tourist, according to data from the Brazilian Association of International Incoming Tourism Operators.