Tourism sector representatives estimate that almost 6% more travelers will arrive during the seasonPUNTA DEL ESTE.- The signs of spring are auspicious and the expectations for summer are encouraging. Weekends in eastern Uruguay are already busy, so there is optimism in the resort that there will be a massive influx of tourists in the first month of 2018, based on the competitiveness of prices, the quality of the destination and a favorable regional context.
Punta del Este revived in the summer of 2016 and achieved a historic record in 2017. And now, although both the government and merchants want to avoid an untimely celebration, everyone is confident that the result will be at least similar to that of the previous summer, and could even be surpassed.
“We're not just thinking about summer; we're working for year-round tourism. But of course, January is very important, and the projections are very good,” Uruguayan Tourism Minister Liliam Kechichian told LA NACION. “The data we obtained from the first survey indicates a considerable level of inquiries, allowing us to project a good season. There are even reservations already for January.”
The Center for Economic Research (Cinve) issued a report last Friday in which it projects a 19,2% increase in tourism for all of 2017 and 4,5% in 2018. And specifically for the season from December 2017 to April 2018, it estimates a 5,8% increase in visitors.
In 2017, the number of Argentine tourists increased by 25,2% and the number of Brazilians by 18%. For 2018, Cinve projects that the number of Brazilian tourists will be the same as this year and that there will be a decrease in arrivals of foreigners from outside the region, but that the number of Argentines will grow by 6,9%. This would be a new record.
Discounts
Restaurants began offering promotions for tourists, both with discounts agreed with banks and their credit cards and with an improved dollar rate when paying in cash.
The volume of tourism in Punta del Este is closely linked to Argentine demand, although in recent years more and more tourists have started to arrive from Brazil, Paraguay and Chile, and from countries outside the region. But Argentina's influence is such that tour operators are closely following the country's political process.
Punta del Este's resurgence in 2016 came after Mauricio Macri's victory at the end of last year, which meant the end of a government that had applied direct and indirect restrictions to tourism outside Argentina, which had affected the Uruguayan resort.
"Furthermore, the Uruguayan government is making an effort with the tax refund for visitors, which has just been extended until April of next year," Kechichian added.
This benefit applies to payments made by credit card or bank debit card, so that tourists can recover all the VAT they have paid.
Regarding the upcoming season, the mayor of Punta del Este, Andrés Jafif, said that "the real estate sector is confirming prices similar to last season," while "the hotel sector is maintaining its rates" from the summer of 2017. He also expressed optimism regarding new openings and the completion of more commercial space leases than the previous season.
Rentals are made closer to summer, except for those who always rent the same house or those who want to secure a place in areas with higher demand and limited supply, such as José Ignacio.
Kechichian is planning a meeting with tourism agents in the coming days to ensure seasonal conditions and discuss promotional campaigns: "We're planning a special promotion for the Argentine public, another for Brazilians, another for international tourism, and another for domestic tourism."
With confidence that summer 2018 will mark another very good season, operators are keeping their fingers crossed that no unforeseen event will alter the projections.
THE NATIONSocietyTourism
