The tourist season has started at a good pace, according to the undersecretary of tourism, Remo Monzeglio. In a press conference, he announced that the best start to the season in the last 40 years was being recorded.
However, both he and the Minister of Tourism, Tabare Vierahave clarified that although it is a good start, not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels. This is mainly due to the cancellation of hundreds of airlines around the world due to the pandemic.
The president of the Broad Front (FA), Fernando Pereira, questioned these statements at a press conference last Monday. Pereira criticized the foundations of the ruling party to say that it was “a record season” and caused a clash between the leaders of the FA and those of tourism.
Antía asks for restraint
The tourist season in Maldonado has begun with an increase in the arrival of visitors from Argentina, Brazil and the northern hemisphere, according to the mayor of the department, Enrique Antía.
He also mentioned an increase in the number of Paraguayan tourists compared to previous years. Despite this, the community chief pointed out that it is still early to make definitive statements about the season and that we must wait until it ends to have a complete picture. In addition, he mentioned that despite the loyalty of Argentine tourists to Uruguay, people from the neighboring country are still missing. However, the month of January has been well rented and busy.
In this sense, he maintained that “there are enough people”, although he stressed that the season “has just begun”. “You have to wait for it to end (…) you have to be cautious and not talk about more,” she added. Antía pointed out that, although “Argentina is faithful to Uruguay, not only with Punta del Este, but also with Piriápolis”, he admitted that “there is a lack of people” from the neighboring country, which is going through a hyperinflationary maelstrom and whose nationals see a strong blow in their budgets when they come to Uruguay, with price differences for them of up to 4 times the value of products and services compared to the same in Argentina.
