MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Over 3.2mn foreign travelers visit Uruguay through November 2025

Minister Menoni expressed high expectations for the 2025–2026 summer season

Uruguay’s tourism sector has solidified its position as a primary engine of the national economy, welcoming 3,207,536 international visitors between January and November 2025. According to the latest report from the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur), these travelers generated an estimated US$1.784 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

Tourism Minister Pablo Menoni hailed the figures, noting that the sector is now performing at a level comparable to the nation's powerhouse meat industry.

Menoni highlighted that total service exports for the 2024–2025 period have already reached US$2.3 billion, driven largely by the influx of foreign travelers.

The data confirms that Uruguay remains a preferred destination for its Argentine and Brazilian neighbors, despite regional economic fluctuations. Argentina remained the largest source of travelers with 2,160,792 arrivals, followed by Brazil's 432,200. Chile came in third with 80,760, followed by Paraguay's 71,190, and Colombia's 37,287. Additionally, 174,857 visitors were from Europe and 109,216 from North America.

Montevideo was the most visited city in the country, with Punta del Este second and Colonia del Sacramento third.

Minister Menoni expressed high expectations for the 2025–2026 summer season, which officially begins in December. He emphasized that tourism has become a “real driver of the economy,” not only for currency generation but as a vital source of employment across the various departments.

With current figures already matching the total service exports of traditional commodities, the government anticipates that year-end results for 2025 will set new records for the post-pandemic era.

It is also Uruguay's most successful tourism year since the historic peaks of 2017, when 4.2 million visitors were recorded over 12 months. While 2017 saw a larger number of people, 2025 is seeing a wealthier demographic, it was explained.