The minister of Tourism, Tabare Viera, considered that although the exchange difference with Argentina makes many Uruguayans choose the neighboring country for vacations or “getaways”, they still expect domestic tourism to be the preferred option during the summer in Uruguay.
At a press conference —in the framework of the launch of four international routes that will be operated by the Chilean low-cost airline Sky—, the owner of the Ministry of Tourism referred to one of the most important current problems in the country: the exchange difference with Argentina and the exodus of Uruguayans who, almost daily, cross the border to take advantage of the price gap. In this sense, the tourism sector is strongly affected, especially in the seasons with the greatest internal movement, such as long weekends, since people choose destinations on the other side of the border.
In this regard, Viera argued that although the difference in relative prices makes traveling in winter attractive, the government expects domestic tourism to be the preferred option in summer. “There are Uruguayans who are going to take their vacations [a Argentina], or a long weekend attracted by the prices. That number has grown circumstantially but It does not mean that tourism decreases within Uruguay”, assured the minister, despite the fact that the impact on the sector has been a concern expressed by the Chamber of Tourism.
“If one looks at the graph of what it has been as of the third quarter of 2022, the number of visitors continues to grow, including Argentines, who come to Uruguay, regarding the pre-pandemic. So tourism in Uruguay It is growing, both in the number of visitors and in spending”, he stated.
Likewise, Viera mentioned again that the government continues to work so that the port of Cologne be one cruise stopover —something that, according to the chief, is “very close” to materializing—: “There is a lot of interest. This will be confirmed in a few months, probably to start next year, although we are hopeful that we will have some experience this season”, he said.
about the next cruise season At a general level, the minister explained that the first vessel will arrive on the Uruguayan coast on October 24, while the last one will do so on April 29.
He also indicated that the Executive Branch expects a 10% increase in arrivals compared to last year, when the season closed with 201 cruise ships, and some 320,000 people who went ashore with a spend of 16 million dollars.
The Chamber of Tourism requested more holidays
With the aim of continuing to promote tourism in the country, especially internal tourism, the Chamber of Tourism proposed create more holidays that allow Uruguayans to tour the country on different occasions. In this regard, the president of the union, Marina Quarry, held that the idea is boost the tourism sector so that his recovery can be achieved.
The minister of the relevant portfolio, meanwhile, said that the idea is welcome, but that “it is not easy.” “You have to take into account all the activity of the country that could also be affected by more holidays, not to mention the school sector that is clamoring for more school days,” Viera pointed out.
Source: Ambito
