In the early months of 2024, Uruguay saw an influx of 1,135,102 international tourists, a notable increase of 3.9% from the first quarter of 2019.
This growth, albeit lower than the previous year’s surge, still brought satisfaction to Eduardo Sanguinetti, the Minister of Tourism.
The year prior, the nation had welcomed 1,219,198 visitors, significantly surpassing figures from early 2019 by 11.6%.
From January to March 2024, these tourists contributed a substantial $711 million to Uruguay’s economy.
The majority, nearly 640,000, traveled from Argentina, demonstrating consistent spending habits, primarily among wealthier demographics.
Minister Sanguinetti underscored the significance of this trend, which indicates a solid base of affluent Argentine tourists.
Brazil stood out as the second major contributor of tourists, with over 143,000 Brazilians visiting during the same period.
This marked a 5.3% increase from 2019, adding $104 million to Uruguay’s economy.
The minister pointed out the importance of this sustained interest from Brazilian visitors, reflecting a broadening appeal of Uruguay as a year-round destination.
During these months, nearly one million Uruguayans ventured abroad, injecting $481 million into foreign economies.
Domestically, tourism also saw robust growth, with a 35% increase in local travel activity compared to 2020, attracting over 1.7 million domestic visitors.
Looking at the broader scope of 2023, Uruguay experienced an extraordinary influx of 3.8 million international tourists, exceeding its population of 3.4 million.
This represented a 55% increase from the previous year and generated an impressive $1.7 billion in economic impact, a rise of 27% from 2022.
These figures not only underscore Uruguay’s growing allure as a global tourist destination but also highlight its resilient and expanding tourism sector amidst global challenges.