MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Monzeglio optimistic about Uruguay's upcoming summer season

Monzeglio foresees a profitable season before the Government changeover in March

Uruguay's Undersecretary of Tourism Remo Monzeglio said this weekend that he was optimistic about the 2024-25 season for his country, with numerous domestic and also foreign travelers expected, both from cruise ships as well as from neighboring Argentina and Brazil.

Monzeglio insisted that his country has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic slowdown and assured that the incoming administration of President-elect Yamandú Orsi will be inheriting a much more prosperous situation.

“In 2023, we reached 3,840,000 tourists approximately which was just 3% down from 2017, which had reached 3,940,000 which was the year when the largest number of tourists arrived in Uruguay,” he argued.

Uruguay has thus recovered “a sector that in 2017 reached almost 4 million tourists, but that after the pandemic was practically at zero. Rebuilding it and closing the last season only 3% below that historical peak is a great merit,” he underlined.

Regarding the domestic front, “we have adapted the measurements, going from considering two-hour trips to four hours away from home,” Monzeglio pointed out. “This reflects a greater interest in local destinations and is supported by the increase in the sale of new vehicles, with more than 60,000 0km cars per year,” he added.

The increase in Argentine and Brazilian travelers was also boosted through the 22% VAT exemption for foreign tourists, in force from November 15 to April 30, the official went on to explain.

Regarding Brazil, he was confident that despite the recent devaluation of the real, the number of visitors would not be impacted heaviily given the interest in Uruguay among top earners. “The people who come between December 26 and January 10 are the ones with greater economic capacity. The exchange rate difference will not be felt there,” he maintained.

Uruguay's government also announced improvements in air connectivity and port structures to welcome additional cruise ships during the summer, all of which seems to forecast a profitable season, the Tourism Ministry also stressed.