With Record Tourism Numbers in 2009,
The Secret’s Out on Uruguay

Posted by admin on March 2, 2010

Posted by Christina on 2/20/10

Source: http://www.olauruguay.com/2010/02/20/with-record-tourism-numbers-in-2009-the-secret-is-out-on-uruguay

It’s carnival season in many countries around the world. Though now an almost entirely secular event, historically speaking, countries with a Roman Catholic heritage would put on related celebrations and parades just prior to the observance of Lent. This past weekend, Uruguayans across the country celebrated Carnaval. Dressed in costumes and dancing to drum beats, people, from the southerly capital of Montevideo to the Northern city of Artigas, delighted in the festivities. The celebration also wrapped up the bulk of the 2010 summer season. Though the numbers from this year are still to be seen, the data is in from 2009 and it’s telling a happy tale: Uruguay had a record tourism industry year in 2009. According to MercoPress, 2.1 million visitors came to Uruguay during the year and spent almost 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.

“This represents a record both in the number of tourists and revenue for the country,” stated Tourism Minister Hector Lescano during a press junket featuring the country’s 2009 tourist data. Even more impressive is that these record numbers do not even include cruise visitors, which Lescano adds is “a booming industry.”

Even in the face of a dropping dollar and rising real estate and rental prices, Uruguay remained a sought-after vacation destination. “We must be proud of what was achieved since the tourism industry in Uruguay actually advanced several percentage points when overall in the region it was down by 5%”, said Lescano.

The numbers of Argentine tourists dropped by 3% but this decrease in numbers was counterbalanced by an influx of Brazilian tourists whose currency is strong. According to the national paper, El Pais, the 2009 summer season showed a 10% to 12% increase in foreign visitors on 2008. Over 950,000 people came to Uruguay to vacation, including a number of important regional and international celebrities. Colombian superstar Shakira keeps a home in Jose Ignacio and regularly summers in the area. American movie-stars Kevin Bacon and Bruce Willis joined the summering crowds in Jose Ignacio. Kevin Bacon supposedly even took to drinking yerba mate, the national drink of choice.

To give perspective to how important tourism has become to Uruguay, consider this: Tourism revenue in 2009 was higher than income generated by Uruguayan meat sales, the country’s main export item.

Numbers are expected to further increase in 2010

Thanks to a slew of new visitors and an increase in cruise ships docking in Montevideo and Punta del Este, these record-setting numbers are likely to be even higher in 2010. El Pais reported that 10,000 more vehicles crossed into Rocha this January compared to 2009, and nearly 20,000 more than in 2008. Argentineans and Uruguayans made up 95% of all visitors, with 68% being nationals. Of the total number of tourists to Rocha, 30% were first time guests.

Along with new visitors, the 2010 cruise ship season has been a busy one. Just this past week, four cruise ships docked in Montevideo at once, unloading 4,000 visitors to the old city. Each guest spent an average of US$60. The majority of the guests were Brazilian, while 19% were from the U.S. Last year cruise ships brought nearly 250,000 people (and consequently, US$15 million) into Uruguay. The great thing about cruises stopping in Montevideo is that though the visit is short, it often inspires a future return, or a consideration to buy a second home.

Along with cars and cruises, planes also brought thousands of extra tourists into the country this year. Thanks to the Open Air agreement, combined with increased services from Pluna and Aerolineas Aregentinas, nearly 15,000 people flew through Punta del Este’s airport. That is an increase of nearly 42% compared to last year.

Whether by air or sea, boat or bus, people are flocking to Uruguay in record numbers, and  the country merits this new-found attention. It is safe, beautiful, and from December to March, is a delightful retreat from the North American winter blues.

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