Cruise vessel calls increased 9.3% so far this season in Uruguay
The number of cruise-vessel calls in Uruguayan ports has increased 9.3% so far in this 2012/13 season with an influx of 20 million dollars for the local economy revealed Deputy minister of Tourism Antonio Carambula during a primary evaluation of business vis-à-vis the 2011/12 results.
“The number of cruise vessels calling in Montevideo and Punta del Este has increased 9.3% so far compared to the last season, which also means an increase in the number of visitors. We still have a full month ahead”, said Carambula.
“There is an indirect return for the Uruguayan economy linked to the spending by visitors which our experts estimate to be above 20 million dollars” pointed out the official who described it as “a satisfactory partial assessment of the current 2012/13 season”.
Carambula also indicated that as Uruguay consolidates as a safe and secure destination “there are a growing number of cruise vessels that take supplies in our ports”.
He also underlined that the cruise business has a ‘multiplying effect’ mainly for out of region visitors, since many of those who leave Uruguay after enjoying their stay become “ambassadors of the country overseas”.
“Stats are indicating that a percentage of them return but in a more traditional form of tourism, and even look for investment opportunities for a second residence”
Carambula also revealed that during the recent world cruise industry Seatrade 2013 conference in Miami, the heads of the cruise companies, many of them operating in Punta del Este and Montevideo expressed the satisfaction of the visitors landing in Uruguay.
The Deputy Tourism minister was in Miami with a numerous delegation which also included the Minister of Public Works and Transport and the head of the Tourism office from Maldonado (Punta del Este).
“Officials from Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean and MSC told us they were satisfied with Uruguay services and that Punta del Este has become one of the great attractions of South Atlantic cruises” said Carambula.
For the next season (2013/14) the cruise companies that operate in Uruguay have plans to keep the number of vessel calls, “so we can expect a similar number of visitors to the current season”.
Likewise “Costa Cruises has decided to have Montevideo (and the airport of Carrasco) as a transfer point for their passengers, which undoubtedly means more activity for our operators” said Carambula.
Finally the tourism deputy minister said that some cruise companies are considering calling in Colonia, at the mouth of the rivers Parana and Uruguay, a colonial city founded in 1680 by the Portuguese half an hour away from Buenos Aires. However because of draft limitations it would only be possible for the smaller cruise vessels.
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11 comments Feed
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Just another buggeration from Ba against my country
I hear you are starting to get desperate for it.
en.ponant.com/Ships/Le-Boreal/(pays)/88/(devise)/livre/(redirect)/1
On the primiere trip, they set off from BA, but one of the passengers was taken ill at the last minute and fell in her cabin. On medical advice, they had to offload her to hospital as quickly as possible. However, the problem was that the Argentine officials refused to allow her ashore (even though she had just boarded in BA!) because they needed her to have an official hospital bed waiting for her beforehand (queues of people with hands out for bribes) and the ship was forced to remain in the port for hours past its departure time whilst they rang around all the hospitals. The ambulance sat near the brow for hours whilst the passenger had to sit in a wheelchair on the ship until the Argentine dock officials gave permission for her to leave the vessel. You could see that the Captain was more than upset by the ridiculous Argentine bureaucracy.
Sadly, they are still using Ushuaia for Le Boreal & her sister ship L'Austral, but they no longer call at BA & stop off at Montevideo on their return to the Caribbean.
If Argentina continues their abusive behaviour towards ships, then I fore see that many of the cruise lines will ditch BA and Ushuaia altogether in favour of Montevideo and ports in Chile, where they would be far more welcome after a visit to the Falklands.
Argentina's loss is Montevideo's gain.
From the article, it appears that the government knows that the more hospitable Montevideo is, the more likely that the cruise passengers will return to Uruguay.
Besides, if I leave Montevideo, at least I won't be robbed of all my US dollars by the customs officials.
As regards hospital care we have an excellent hospital here, officially the King Edward VII hospital but universally known as the Hospital Britanico. They have excellent contacts with the Falklands and the medical director Dr Jorge Stanham MBE was recently in Stanley to cement our long standing relationship
There is athriving British Society in Uruguay (britsoc uruguay} most of whose members are second or third generation Brits who dont want to lose thier roots
We are Uruguayans to a man or woman and are not sepoys (cipayos) and are concerned about our country and its well being. Damn it we live here
I'm aware that many in Uruguay would like to have friendly relations with the Falkland Islands. It could be mutually beneficial.
It doesn't mean that Uruguayans are 'sepoys' though. That's just a derogatory term the Argies like to use, similar to the word 'kelpers'.
What the Argies don't realise though is that the Islanders are not offended by the term. Some Falkland Islanders would collect the sea-weed, as it was a useful supply of Soda Ash. However, the term is out of date and only shows the Argie's ignorance.
Let's hope that the Uruguayan government drops their embargoes & starts direct flights to Mount Pleasant as soon as possible.
If you somehow can make a politician keep his or her mouth closed, let me know how you did it :-)
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