After confirmation of the Parintins Festival, ticket prices skyrocket and frustrate internet users

Bruno Pacheco – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The announcement of the official dates for the return of the largest folkloric festival in Amazonas, the Parintins Folkloric Festival, for June 24th, 25th and 26th of this year, was reason for joy for fans of bois-bumbás Garantido and Caprichoso. The prices of airline tickets, for those who don’t live in the city, however, frustrated the dreams of those who want to enjoy the return of the event after two years suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Gol and Blue airlines, that make direct flight to Parintins, you can find tickets with values between R $ 1,1 thousand (one-way) to R $ 2,5 thousand (back) during the days of the festival. Only in Blue, the price of the trip to the city, with departure on the 24th and return on the 27th, totals R$ 3,988.73, according to consultation, this Saturday morning, the company’s website. For the model, businesswoman and journalist Grazi Nogueira, 28, passionate about the Boi-Bumbá Caprichoso, the prices of flights scare and should postpone the trip of those who would like to know the event.

“It scared and a lot. I believe that, instead of attracting more people to get to know the event, they are driving people away with these absurd prices. Currently, in Brazil, we are witnessing a significant increase in several things necessary in our daily lives, so I believe that those who have the dream of knowing the Parintins festival will postpone this moment because of the very high value between tickets and tickets”, criticized the journalist.

Grazi says she never had the opportunity to go to the festival and would go for the first time, in 2020, but the pandemic changed her plans. In 2022, she was planning to go to the event with friends, but now she has to reorganize herself to guarantee tickets and tickets to watch the bumbás.

“Both my friends and I were ‘astonished’ by the increase that occurred in the tickets after the event was confirmed. It wasn’t a minimum increase, it was an increase of more than 100% in the ‘common’ value of the tickets for the city”, commented Grazi Nogueira.

The engineer Francely Cativo, who currently lives in Manaus, points out that air travel would be more convenient for her, even though it is more expensive. Because of her work, the plane trip would be faster and she could enjoy the weekend in the Tupinambarana Island.

“Because of my work, I need to get there and back quickly. But, the moment I went to see the tickets on the Azul airline’s website, I was outraged by the value of the tickets, because they are absurd. It is much easier to go to Europe, to the other side of the world, than to go here near Manaus”, she said.

For the engineer, the high price of the tickets is also a deterrent for those who want to know the culture of Parintins and the folkloric festival. Unlike the boat trip, whose journey from Manaus to the city takes on average 18h, the journey by plane takes about 1 hour, which is why Francely says it is the most viable means for those who work outside the city.

“As parintinense, I am very sad about this overbilling that is having with the tickets. We who work know how hard it is, today, buy tickets with this value, and if we compare the price for other places, states or countries, It comes out even cheaper “, emphasized.

On social networks, Internet users also criticized the price of travel and came to make comparisons with international flights. “Festival confirmed: airline tickets are already more expensive than going to Dubai; inns and rooms at the price of gold; the naturalness in exploiting has become a habit,” criticized a man, in a post on Facebook.

“Nervous, very nervous, thinking about how I will get money to buy these tickets to Parintins,” commented another person on Twitter. “Tickets to the Parintins festival are R$2,500.00 a way! It is more expensive than traveling outside of Brazil”, reported another Internet user.

Increase

In 2019, the year before the start of the broadcast by Covid-19 in Brazil, flights from Manaus to Parintins were sold for prices starting at R$ 600 during the days of the festival. The highest prices were around R$900 during the same period. On days before or after the event, tickets cost at least R$ 125.

The same is observed in 2022. For trips scheduled for the month of May, for example, passengers can find flights from Manaus to Parintins with prices between R$ 293 to R$ 496, in addition to taxes and charges that exceed R$ 100. The values during the week of the folkloric festival, however, more than quadrupled.

Because of the increase in prices, Parintins councilman Babá Tupinambá (PDT) said it will seek the prerogatives of the City Council, and consumer protection agencies, to notify airlines that perform flights to the city during the Folk Festival Parintins.

“A single ticket on the route Parintins/Manaus or Manaus/Parintins (round trip) now costs R$ 2,494.90. As parintinense and legitimate representative of the people, we can not fold our arms and let this practice prevail. We will seek the prerogatives of the City Council and consumer protection agencies to notify airlines that perform flights to the festival of Parintins, “said the parliamentarian.

River travel

For river trips, i.e. through the Amazon rivers, prices are cheaper. The values, however, vary from R$ 350 (round trip), leaving Manaus to Parintins, for those who travel in boats with traditional nets. The Caravana do Japa, for example, offers a promotion for two people for R$ 600. Reservations can be made through the number (92) 99187-3285.

Tourists who want more comfort in the boats have the option to buy round-trip tickets, in cabins, for R$ 2,500.00, for two people, or purchase round-trip tickets, for suites, priced at R$ 3,500.00 with room for up to three people.

In Caravan Partiu Parintins, the individual tickets are worth from R$ 320 round trip, and the departure scheduled for the day 22 and return day 27 June. Reservations can be made through the number (92) 98401-0641.

The travel agency also offers suites and cabins for tourists who want to get to know Brazil’s biggest folkloric festival, with accommodation and breakfast included in the trip.