the mayor of Maldonado, Enrique Antía, He highlighted that there is an investment of 11.6 million dollars annually to promote the destination, which is consolidating itself as the main tourist attraction in the country.
Among the strong points that consolidate Maldonado and Punta del Este As a tourist destination, areas such as Wedding Tourism and LGBT+ tourism, whose contribution is fundamental for the department, due to the impact it has on the arrival of foreigners to the spa and the generation of job sources.
During his speech at the monthly luncheon of the Association of Marketing Managers of Uruguay, where the Minister of Tourism was also present, Tabare Viera, the mayor of Rocha, Alejo Umpiérrez, and his pair from Cologne, Carlos Moreira, Antía highlighted that this investment of 11.6 million dollars in tourism is complemented by the money allocated to infrastructure and security, which includes 22,000,000 dollars for the Monitoring and Video Surveillance Center.
To this was added the maintenance of displays that the Municipality pays monthly through an annual investment of more than 1,000,000 dollars, but also the electronic inspection system that demanded about 20,0000 pesos and the recovery of parks, which totals 6,000,000 million dollars, which would make the figure much higher.
Maldonado, generator of more than half of the foreign currency earned through tourism
Antía highlighted that Maldonado It is the generator of more than half of the foreign exchange that enters the country through tourism, with a presence at the national and international level, being part of fairs in Spain, Colombia, Paraguay, Panama, Brazil, Argentina, United States, FITUR Madrid, FIT in Buenos Aires, Fiexpo, and WTM San Pablo.
In that sense, the department head highlighted that between 2022 and so far in 2023, 584 marriages were carried out, while for the LGBT+ tourism gave a piece of land on loan for the construction of an international headquarters. In turn, he valued the relationship with the private sector “to unite the effort to disseminate the destination throughout the world.”
And he left “a separate chapter” for event tourism, with “one party per town with an investment of 1,500,000 dollars,” adding sporting, musical and technological events, among others with more than 2 million dollars of investment. by year.
Exemptions and incentives
Finally, Antía He highlighted the exemptions made that encouraged construction and work. Along these lines, he indicated that 3,600,000 square meters were approved, implying an investment of 6 billion dollars and of which more than 2,600,000 are at the end of construction, which means that they will pay taxes starting from 2025.
At the same time, he considered the support of the mayor’s office “key” during the two years of the pandemic, by resigning income “to encourage the continuity of the hotel industry, gastronomic establishments, tourist transportation, event venues, among others, which implied a resignation of $2,200,000 annually.”
Source: Ambito
