The Argentine president, Alberto Fernández, made a controversial statement when he affirmed that no water comes out of the faucets in Montevideo. These words caused consternation in Uruguay, especially in the tourism sector.
The Minister of Tourism, Tabaré Viera, deeply regretted the statements of President Fernández, describing them as “fake news” that harm Uruguay. Although Minister Viera did not directly link this statement to the drop in tourists, it is clear that these types of false statements can have a negative impact on the tourism industry.
Uruguay faces difficulties with the supply of water due to the severe drought that mainly affects Montevideo and Canelones, where more than half of the national population lives. These adverse weather conditions have affected the supply of drinking water in some regions, generating concern among the population and economic sectors, such as tourism.
Viera announced that the specific data for the winter vacation season is not yet available, but that everything indicates that it will be one of the “most complicated” periods that the tourism sector has gone through, due to changes in vacation dates. and because the season depends on the beginning of the holidays in Argentina and Brazil.
“It is moving slowly,” he added, noting that the main affected are the departments of the coast and the hot springs due to “competition with Argentina and the exchange difference.”
