MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan minister wants borders open to welcome visitors from everywhere

“Nobody travels from so far away to visit a single country,” Viera said as he admitted Uruguay targetted visitors from everywhere

Uruguay's Tourism Minister Tabaré Viera said over the weekend that his country's “land, air and sea borders must be open” for visitors.

The official made those remarks in Buenos Aires during the opening ceremony of a tourism fair which garnered all Argentine provinces and travel resorts plus Uruguay as a foreign nation guest. Joining Viera's entourage were Tourism officials Ignacio Curbelo and Roque Baudean, as well as Uruguay's Ambassador to Argentina, Carlos Enciso Christiansen.

Viera also insisted on the need to coordinate actions between regional governments, particularly those of Mercosur, to make travel easier for residents of all member countries.

In his speech, Viera also highlighted the return of the fair and thanked the organizers for inviting Uruguay as a foreign guest. The minister also hoped the four-day event will help boost tourism in the upcoming Summer season regionally.

“We come to show what Uruguay offers to the region and the world, with innovative products,” Viera underscored, as he stressed his country's land, air and sea borders must be open for tourism, with security, vaccines and tests. He also urged governments to work on those issues.

“Our main market is Argentina,” Viera underlined, “but we also have a world to explore and grow as a region, because nobody travels from so far away to visit a single country,” he said.

Viera also launched an appeal to leave the past behind, specifically the times when borders were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and “look to the future with optimism, because tourism is going to be the engine of development, of rebuilding so many jobs that have been damaged, and let us work together for it.”

The International Tourism Fair spans from December 4 to 7, at La Rural, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Also speaking at the event's opening ceremony was Argentine Tourism Minister Matías Lammens, who addressed the current recovery of the activity.