It is not new that Punta del Este is the mecca of tourism for Uruguay, but this historical phenomenon becomes relevant when a new season comes into play with no health emergency in sight.
The long weekend that began this Friday, October 7, served as a thermometer for tour operators who see an optimistic or frightening outlook, depending on where they are. According to data from the National Directorate of Migration, more than 21,984 Argentines entered the country between Friday and Sunday. So did 3,597 from Brazil and more than 20,000 Uruguayans who were abroad.
The coincidence of a holiday that would allow the weekend to be extended in both Uruguay and Brazil and Argentina meant that the operators could have a pilot test of what will be the 2023 summer season.
According to Analía Suárez, president of the Punta del Este Hotel Center, this convergence resulted in very good occupancy. “The hotels of the highest category had more Argentines than the rest,” said Suárez.
This reality changes as the category of accommodation decreases: “From four stars and below there are 25% Argentines, 30-something Brazilians, followed by Uruguayans and some Chileans,” he described, and despite confirming that it is a good time for the main spa limited: “not like before it overflowed”, in reference to the pre-pandemic.
He questioned that private lodgings that are rented in the underground market also compete, although there is no information about them. “We ask the government to deal with this issue, to regulate it,” she said regarding online rental platforms like Airbnb.
Something that all operators agree on is that luxury units are the first to be sought and reserved by both Argentines and Brazilians, and even by Uruguayans or tourists from outside the region such as North Americans.
“The foreign public stays in luxury hotels that have very affordable rates,” Suarez stressed. The rate in your perception has not only not increased, but in some cases decreased; “Sometimes they go down to be able to close the purchase,” he said.
The manager of Solanas Punta del Este, Alejandro D’Elia confirms the effort made by the premium proposals to maintain the rate. “An audience with a higher target is going to come from Argentina”, said D´Elia and confirmed: “We can say that the best category is already reserved”.
For the manager of Solanas, the rate is “very resentful” as a result of the exchange difference with Argentina and the depreciation of the dollar that force them to maintain the same values as last year in order to compete in the region.
“You can’t talk about profit, we are trying to recover the loss”, D’Elia valued, which was auspicious for the summer of 2023 and affirmed that a “good season” is waiting for Punta del Este.
For his part, the president of the Real Estate Chamber of Punta del Este, Javier Sena, felt that this weekend “was auspicious” and was very close to the level of occupation that was seen in Punta del Este in the run-up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Covid-19. “Argentineans of medium-high and high level are going to come because they want to leave Argentina,” he stressed after having visited the neighboring country to promote the destination.
Looking ahead to the end of the year,Real estate agencies are receiving a large number of inquiries, but reservations do not necessarily crystallize. “Yes, luxury houses and apartments are reserved, the rest is for later,” said Sena, who expects that the first two months of next year at the level of tourism will be even better than those of 2022 and 2021, but not that 2018 and 2019.
Regarding rates, the Real Estate Chamber of Punta del Este recommended that real estate agents and owners not raise them to promote the arrival of more tourists. “They are respecting it,” said the tour operator in this regard.
Concern in Rocha
90 kilometers from Punta del Este, in Rocha, this weekend was experienced as a bad omen. The president of the Rochense Tourism Corporation, Delvair Amarilla, affirmed that in some micro-destinations of the department there was “low visitation” and that the impact on the gastronomy of the Argentines who come to their properties stands out as a strong point, for example, in La Pedrera.
Meanwhile, La Paloma registered 50% occupancy, according to the data collected by Amarilla. “Reservations are low and the visit this weekend was not what we expected”he highlighted.
In turn, in other locations, reservations were found for fewer days than usual, three, two or even one night in the case of those who go to Chuy. “Luckily Punta del Este is positive, in Rocha I would say that we are worried, we should have a little more consultations,” Amarilla stressed.
Given this forecast, the president of the Corporation asked the Ministry of Economy to review the possibility of offering zero VAT to Uruguayan tourists. “Rocha has a lot of influence on internal tourism and the truth is that what we need,” she said.
Asked if she expects a good season, Amarilla confirmed: “We are far from thinking that with the indicators we have”. The wide range of offers in Rocha offers options from $1,200 per night to US$100 in the case of the highest level hotels in Punta del Diablo.
Gold Coast with less supply
The president of the Association of Real Estate Agents of the Coast of Canelones, Daniel Santestevan, assured that in the resorts that make up the coast, above all, “a more familiar atmosphere” is sought, and in his vision, in this long weekend greater occupation.
However, the fact that the time of stay in most destinations has been shortened -even in Canelones- led to more and more owners in the area opting for year-round rentals instead of renting only for the season. , which means that the offer is reduced for the summer.
According to Santestevan, the most requested spas continue to be Atlántida, Parque del Plata and Las Toscas. In this framework, the first houses to be reserved were those “more valued”, that is, those with a pool that are around $3,000 per day. While a house for a typical family without a pool is around $1,300 per day.
