Por<\/p>\n
\u2014 Rio de Janeiro and Bel\u00e9m<\/p>\n
13\/03\/2025 07h32<\/p>\n
13\/03\/2025<\/p>\n
Helder Barbalho \u2014 Foto: Vanessa Carvalho\/Valor<\/p>\n
With eight months remaining before the 30th UN Climate Conference (COP30), scheduled for November 10\u201321 in Bel\u00e9m, Par\u00e1, the capital is already feeling the effects of a \u201crush\u201d in the real estate market. The city is grappling with a shortage of accommodation, rising lodging demand, and speculation in rental prices, which is also affecting local residents. Reports indicate that landlords are terminating leases to make properties available for the event, reducing the number of properties for sale.<\/p>\n
The total number of visitors is estimated to reach up to 50,000 at the event’s peak when heads of state meet. Bel\u00e9m, with a population of 1.3 million, is the 12th largest city in Brazil.<\/p>\n
Civil society representatives expressed concerns to Valor about Bel\u00e9m’s capacity to host the entire conference and, more importantly, whether the local population and delegations from poorer countries will be able to afford the accommodations. NGOs have warned that COP30 is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in the last decade in terms of lodging costs. However, the hotel sector maintains that measures have been taken to accommodate the influx of visitors and that the price increases were anticipated.<\/p>\n
In an interview during Carnival, Par\u00e1 Governor Helder Barbalho emphasized that the necessary investments were being made to host the event: \u201cThe city is brimming with investments that will leave lasting legacies,\u201d he stated. \u201cWe are absolutely certain that we will present Bel\u00e9m as a welcoming hub for environmental discussions.\u201d<\/p>\n
As of Friday (March 7), the highest-priced rental listings on platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb reached R$2 million for a four-person accommodation in a prime neighborhood for the entire duration of the COP. More modest accommodations, such as lofts in central or outlying neighborhoods that accommodate up to two people, are priced over R$80,000 for the ten days of the conference. Meanwhile, apartments for two adults range from R$100,000 to R$200,000 for the same period.<\/p>\n
According to the Brazilian Hotel Industry Association of Par\u00e1 (ABIH-PA), the average daily rate for the hotel sector during COP30 is expected to be US$500 (R$2,900) in Bel\u00e9m. In contrast, the average daily rate for March 16, according to a Valor survey of ten three- to five-star hotels in central Bel\u00e9m, is about US$80. Notably, none of these hotels have availability for November.<\/p>\n
Two hotels within a 5 km radius of the Hangar Convention Center\u2014the venue for most of COP30’s official events\u2014are charging daily rates between 20 and 60 times the typical price. One hotel, located 3.9 km from the Hangar and with no star rating, lists a \u201csingle\u201d room for R$180 in March. However, this rate spikes to R$10,800 on November 10, making the total cost for the ten-day event R$118,000. Another two-star hotel, located 4.5 km from the Hangar, charges R$195 for March 16 and R$4,000 for the first day of the conference.<\/p>\n
The infrastructure challenges in this Amazonian city prompted the federal government to announce R$5 billion in credit lines through the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) in 2023 to boost Bel\u00e9m’s infrastructure. More than 20 major structural projects are currently in progress.<\/p>\n
In response to rising accommodation prices, the Extraordinary Secretariat for COP30 (Secop), part of the President’s Chief of Staff and tasked with organizing the event alongside the Par\u00e1 state government, issued a statement confirming that price hikes are being monitored in collaboration with federal, state, and municipal authorities, as well as consumer protection agencies and inspection bodies. The government is working to expand and diversify accommodation options to ensure more accessible and fair pricing. Additionally, the federal government revealed it is nearing completion of a contract for an official accommodation platform to be used by both the host country and the UN, which is expected to launch by the end of the month.<\/p>\n
According to the latest survey from Bel\u00e9m’s city hall, the city currently offers 18,000 hotel beds but will need to double this capacity to meet demand. The federal, state, and municipal governments and the private sector are coordinating several initiatives to accommodate more than 50,000 participants. These include negotiating the use of cruise ships as floating hotels, refurbishing 17 schools to serve as hostel-style accommodations, and constructing the COP30 Village, which will house heads of state and delegations. Located near Parque da Cidade, where the event will take place, the COP30 Village will feature 405 suites and will be repurposed into an administration center after the event.<\/p>\n
The measures to accommodate the influx of visitors to COP30 include expanding Bel\u00e9m’s hotel network with four new international hotel group developments catering to the A and B markets. Additionally, partnerships with platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb are facilitating training for property owners looking to become new hosts. Airbnb stated that accommodation prices are set by the hosts, who have full autonomy to manage their listings, including defining availability and nightly rates. Similarly, Booking.com clarified that it does not influence booking pricing, with accommodation partners controlling all pricing policies.<\/p>\n
Hotel industry representatives in Bel\u00e9m argue that the prices charged during COP30 reflect the high demand and the operational requirements of hosting such a major event. Spokespersons from the Brazilian Hotel Industry Association of Par\u00e1 (ABIH-PA) and the Par\u00e1 Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, and Similar Trade Union deny any price manipulation, suggesting that speculation in the informal accommodation market has led to public misunderstandings of the actual rates.<\/p>\n
Tony Santiago, president of ABIH-PA, emphasized that the hotel industry adheres to international pricing standards and has invested in necessary upgrades to accommodate foreign delegations. \u201cI don’t think it’s excessive for a three-star hotel on one of Bel\u00e9m’s main avenues to charge US$200 [R$1,160] per night,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cThe average daily rate during COP30 is US$500 [R$2,900], which is driven by specific needs of the delegations, such as high-quality internet, 24-hour medical aid, elevator and IT technicians, and stringent food and beverage standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
While ABIH-PA noted that it doesn’t have information on Bel\u00e9m’s average hotel rates in 2024, it explained that the average daily rate for COP30 is more predictable, as hotels only sell reservations for the conference during these set dates. In contrast, regular rates fluctuate based on demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision to host COP30 in a city with limited hotel availability has naturally led to higher prices,\u201d said Fernando Soares, legal advisor to the Par\u00e1 Union of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, and Similar. \u201cThis is a natural market reaction. The issue of regulation should have been addressed earlier. There’s no way to intervene because we are talking about a private sector, where each business sets its prices according to its operating costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Bel\u00e9m, property owners are prioritizing short-term rentals and adjusting lease agreements to take advantage of the high demand surrounding COP30. Brokers report that many owners are choosing not to renew long-term leases, instead capitalizing on the event’s surge in visitors. \u201cMany prefer to rent out their properties during the event,\u201d says Carlos Netto, a real estate broker in the capital of Par\u00e1.<\/p>\n
Realtor Franciele Minhoto highlights the steep rise in temporary rental prices, noting, \u201cDaily rates range from R$2,000 to R$20,000, with some agents charging in dollars.\u201d Ms. Minhoto has also noticed a shift in the types of landlords, \u201cI’ve had clients who gave up selling in favor of renting during COP.\u201d<\/p>\n
Representatives from civil society groups that typically attend UN climate conferences report difficulty securing rentals in Bel\u00e9m, citing higher prices compared to previous COPs, including those in Baku (COP29), Dubai (COP28), and Egypt (COP27).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s one of the most expensive COPs in terms of accommodation we’ve attended in the last decade,\u201d says Claudio Angelo, international policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory. D\u00e9lcio Rodrigues, executive director of the ClimaInfo Institute, attributes the rise in accommodation costs to the growing significance and scale of the event. However, he notes that COP30 surpasses even those of recent years in terms of price inflation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Baku, Azerbaijan, prices started rising last year, but the government intervened, and accommodations became expensive but still acceptable, similar to Dubai,\u201d Mr. Rodrigues explains. \u201cDubai had better occupancy rates, though.\u201d The ClimaInfo Institute, which has three representatives accredited for the negotiations, has secured lodging for them but is still searching for housing for 10 additional staff members.<\/p>\n
Luciane Moessa, founder of the Sustainable Inclusive Solutions (SIS) association, shared her experience with rising prices, stating that a reservation she made was later canceled by the platform, only for the price to quadruple. \u201cAt COP Egypt, property owners inflated prices by five times, but in Bel\u00e9m, it’s off the charts, 10 times higher than usual.\u201d<\/p>\n