MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay expects promising season.

The number of tourists visiting Uruguay during the first eight months of 2004 was 36% above the same period in 2003 and if the tendency continues could total over two million, according to the Uruguayan Ministry of Tourism.

Uruguay is considered a relatively cheap country measured in US dollars and Euros, and is also highly competitive in Mercosur.

In 2002 Uruguay hosted 1,300.000 tourists and last year a million and a half.

Tourism minister Pedro Bordaberry said that improved air links and a gradual open skies policy in the region and with Spain have proved very successful in attracting tourists to Uruguay.

Mr. Bordaberry revealed that 80% of marina docking space in three of the country's main yacht ports has already been booked for January 2005.

However the minister cautioned about price "temptations" since "we should expect a very significant competition from Argentine sea resorts that will be determined to recover the customers they lost to Uruguay".

"We are also more competitive than Brazil, but this will tend to become more balanced particularly in the southern coast of Parana and Santa Catarina states", added Mr. Bordaberry.

Uruguay is particularly attractive for high income Brazilians, Argentines and Paraguayans because of privacy and the fact that the country is free of violent urban crime and kidnapping which has become a scourge in the main cities of Mercosur member countries.

Tourism is Uruguay's second most important industry in revenue and first in seasonal employment.