The increase in experiences and businesses aimed at classes A and B has transformed the tourist profile of Gramado (RS), especially during the Christmas period, when the town of Serra Gaúcha receives tourists attracted by traditional Christmas decorations.
The city expects 2.8 million people to attend the traditional Natal Luz, a free event for the public who gather on sidewalks to follow thematic parades. However, for those looking for better visibility, you will need to arrive early to guarantee a place at the railing and deal with the crowds.
For more comfort, you have to pay up to R$420 for the chairs and R$540 for the lounges, which offer free treats, snacks and sparkling wine.
This year’s edition introduced the Passport Experience, which, for R$999, allows tourists to participate in the Christmas parade. Visitors receive a costume kit and sparkling wine in honor of the event’s 40th anniversary and parade on a float with the cast. Tickets for the Nativitaten show, a light and music show on a lake in Gramado, start at R$180.
“We are trying more and more to create exclusive products,” says Bertolucci. According to him, tickets for the best seats are almost always unavailable due to high demand. “It also shows that there is an intention among the public to seek a more exclusive service.”
The old bucolic tourism has given way to the arrival of imported brands of clothing and perfumery, the rental of high-end cars for timed tours, and the opening of luxury buildings.
In addition to high-end hotels, Gramado is expanding its offering with differentiated experiences linked to wellness, wellness tourism, such as the Kurotel spa, and wine tourism.
The city is also growing in the destination wedding segment, with services aimed at couples with greater purchasing power, an area historically associated with romance and winter tourism.
The secretary says expanding the focus on more exclusive experiences and a smaller audience, but with greater purchasing power, also helps address a problem Gramado faces: the limits of urban growth in a 137 km² city.
He cites as an example the investment of R$1 billion in a tourist complex with an area of 205 hectares still free on the territory. The project, with which businessman Dody Sirena is associated, includes a Club Med resort, a ski slope and additional investments by the brand in Gramado.
According to Janyck Daudet, ClubMed CEO for Latin America, one of the factors that motivated the choice of Gramado was the growing demand for higher value-added experiences.
“In recent years, Gramado has stopped being just a seasonal destination and has started to attract an audience willing to invest in high-end accommodation, gastronomy and leisure,” Daudet said.
Bertolucci says it is necessary to think about the social, economic and environmental sustainability of a city that today needs a large movement of people to satisfy its supply. In this context, investing in high-end experiences, aimed at tourists who spend more in the city, can be a good way.
“The luxury market needs fewer people, and these fewer people generate good revenue for the city,” says the secretary.
However, he does not believe that the change in profile will cause a general increase in prices and harm tourism for the general public in Gramado.
“The city is not going to completely migrate towards this model. On the contrary, what we are doing is taking inventory of what already exists in the luxury market to somehow promote these players and attract this audience,” he says.
“The more popular restaurant, with a more affordable price, tends to still operate and maintain good traffic. The more expensive restaurant, with more exclusivity, also operates, but in smaller numbers,” he says.
He also points out that the luxury market is taking time to consolidate and that the average Brazilian consumer profile is still low-income.
“The Class A audience exists, but we clearly see a significant volume of Class B and C visitors. What does that mean? It’s a question of supply and demand.”
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