A few days after Rock in Rio began, Rio de Janeiro's hotel sector reported an occupancy of 98%, in addition to reservations that would cover the city's hotel capacity in a matter of days, according to the city's tourism agency, Riotur.
This record occupancy has left local hoteliers satisfied but, in turn, has generated concern among authorities and unions that have already expressed their concern about the shortage of rooms in a city that has several world-class events on its agenda for the next five years.
The municipal secretary of Rio de Janeiro and president of Riotur, Antonio Pedro Figueira reported that the date of the event was chosen looking for it to be in low season to have more rooms available. "Since the Prefecture of Rio began contacts to bring the event back, it was imagined that there would be a large flow of tourists. Happily, the results are above expectations."
Riotur's calculations indicate that 700,000 people will arrive in the city during the seven days of the festival (September 23 to 30), which means a growth of 45% compared to the occupancy statistics in 2010. Those visitors will generate revenue of $419 million for the city.
