Uruguay’s tourism thrives in Q1 2023: focus on Brazilian market and increasing domestic travel

In the first quarter of 2023, Uruguay welcomed 1.2 million tourists, translating to a revenue of US$741 million.

To honor this, Uruguay’s Tourism department hosted a special event for Brazilian trade partners in São Paulo.

The Uruguayan Tourism Chamber revealed that Argentinians and Brazilians were the most significant among international visitors, with an increase of 2.6% and 7.1%, respectively, compared to 2019.

The Tax-Free 22-23 data showed a 16% rise in purchases by international visitors in the first two months of 2023 compared to the same span in 2020.

Representatives, including Mariella Volppe from the Ministry of Tourism, emphasized the pivotal role of air connectivity provided by carriers like Azul Linhas Aéreas, Latam Airlines, and JetSmart.

These airlines operate flights from various Brazilian cities, including São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Popular destinations among Brazilians include wineries, Montevideo, and Colonia del Sacramento, though there’s a growing interest in natural locales such as Florida, Maldonado, and Durazno.

In terms of outbound tourism, Uruguayans showed an uptick in overseas travel during this quarter, with 1.14 million individuals spending US$471 million abroad.

However, the country enjoyed a positive balance of US$ 270 million when comparing inbound and outbound tourism.

Domestic tourism also saw a surge, with Uruguayans showing a 30% increase in internal travel, especially in the Central-South and Metropolitan regions.

Additionally, the cruise season of the first quarter in 2023 marked a 12.7% growth compared to the pre-pandemic season of 2019-2020.