Opinion: Rio Tops Ranking in High Prices, not High Quality of Services

06/03/2013 - 09h02

A research made by The Brazilian Tourist Board, known as Embratur, in 20 cities found that Rio is in third place at the ranking for leisure hotels rates, behind Miami and Punta Cana (Dominican Republic).

On average, the daily vacation rate in the city is US$ 246.71. The city got an honorable second place for business hotel rates - US$ 182.73 - losing first place only to New York. Working temporarily here is more expensive than in Frankfurt, Tokyo or Milan.

Vacation is more affordable in London, Paris or Barcelona. These are strange times. Many of us remember stories told by fellow citizens returning from a trip from Europe telling how horrible were the prices for a bottle of mineral water or soda. Today, the people telling these stories are the tourists arriving in Rio who depending on the place they choose to eat could pay about 10 reais for coffee.

But beyond the beaches, Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, what can we offer visitors that justify these scary prices? Unfortunately, not much. Try going to a restaurant reasonably known for a Sunday lunch and ask how long it takes to get a table. Half an hour, is the standard answer, even if it means 60 minutes. Try to win the empathy of a taxi driver while asking him to go on a short ride. As the young 'cariocas' (people from Rio) say, "it won't roll" - meaning, it will not happen. So be ready for an unpleasant ride.

That, if you can convince the driver to take you. It is not worthy talking about the precarious state of the airports, the overcrowding at the public transportation, the unpreparedness of those serving the tourists or the lack of street signs. We are at the top in the ranking for prices. Now as far as service...

Translated by SIMONE PALMA

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