MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Punta del Este cruise season launched

Some 200,000 visitors are expected to arrive in Punta on cruise ships, Falero highlighted

This year's cruise season was launched this week at the Uruguayan beach resort of Punta del Este during a ceremony presided over by Tourism Minister Tabaré Viera, who pointed out that some of the 232 scheduled to arrive between October 2023 and April 2024, 74 would call there.

“At the presentation of the Punta del Este cruise season with the arrival of three ships to our bay, cruise tourism is a unique window for many visitors to discover our wineries, the beauty of our coastline,” Viera said on social media.

Transport Minister José Luis Falero underlined that “tourists have the opportunity to get to know Punta del Este and this year it is estimated that 200,000 visitors will arrive through cruise ships,” according to a statement from the Maldonado City Hall.

In a separate event this week, Uruguay's National Port Administration (ANP) Chief Juan Curbelo said a “historic” number of passengers went through the riverside port of Colonia in 2023. Most of them were Uruguayan nationals traveling to Argentina to profit from the exchange rate difference under the previous administration of then-President Alberto Fernández and Economy Minister Sergio Massa.

Curbelo also pointed out that the US$ 23 million update to the port's infrastructure would allow the expansion and improvement of services in addition to guaranteeing safe journeys. The new works are expected to be completed in the second semester of 2024, Curbelo said.

The ANP plans to build a third fixed gangway on the dock with a movable beam, expand the docks, and install additional defenses to welcome smaller cruise ships. The emblematic wooden dock of Colonia is also to be restored, the official explained.