MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Booming high season in Uruguay

An estimated 350,000 visitors have flooded Uruguayan resorts along the Atlantic coast since mid December according to official statistics and consumption figures.

Migration numbers indicate an 8% increase in the influx of visitors to the country compared to the same period a year ago, with 108,172 tourists registered between December 27 and January 2.

Pumping drinking water reached 100 million litres per day, and given an average usage of 200 litres per person per day, a total of at least 425,000 people can be computed in the Atlantic resorts along the Maldonado coast mainly Punta del Este, world known for its beaches, natural scenery and night life.

Similarly garbage collection with an average kilo per person per day totalled almost 400 tons, confirming the 425,000 figure (tourists plus the 150,000 year residents).

Migration figures indicate that Argentines are the leading fans of Uruguayan beaches, followed by overseas Uruguayans returning fro Xmas and New Year, Brazilians, Paraguayans and an increasing number of Europeans, US citizens and Mexicans.

The 8% increase of tourists currently arriving in Uruguay from overseas compared to the 2003/04 season, actually jumps to 37,9% if the 2002/03 summer is considered which was the peak of the Argentine financial crisis.

Although Uruguay's tourism industry traditionally has been exposed to the volatility of the political and financial situation of Argentina, Uruguayan tourist analysts believe that the tsunami traumatic experience in Asia could have a positive impact on other destinations such as the Caribbean and the region including Uruguay.

Apparently some Scandinavian tourism operators are looking at Brazil and the Canary Islands and others to Egypt, Tunisia and Gambia.

Germans and Italians prefer the Caribbean; Spaniards Mexico and Argentina.