International tourism left the country more than 1800 million dollars. The number of Argentineans rise a 25%. While Montevideo is the most visited destination, more money is spent in Punta del Este.
The Ministry of Tourism presented a report with the final figures of 2016 and its comparison with the numbers registered in 2015.
During 2016 Uruguay received 3.328.450 tourists, 12.3% more than the quantity received in 2015. The Ministry of Tourism informed that the growth resulted in an increase of 3.3% of the profits the country obtains from tourism.
In 2016, 363,609 more people visited Uruguay than in 2015. While in 2015 visitors left the country 1.765.644.510 dollars in 2016 the numbers were more tan 1,824 million dollars. The 3.3% increase meant 59 million dollars more.
The 2016 numbers were also positive in terms of the trade balance, comparing the money spend by foreign visitors in the country with the outlay of Uruguayans abroad. Foreign tourists spend 909,224 million dollars more than Uruguayans did overseas.
Argentineans are still the main visitors and the numbers increased considerable in 2016. The 2.139.598 Argentinean tourists that arrived the past year represented a 25,4% more than the ones who arrived in 2015.
Brazilians were 432,442, a 0,8% more than in 2015.
There was also an increase of Chilean tourists and a little decrease of Paraguayans. The number of visitors from other nationalities was almost the same as 2015.
Montevideo, Punta del Este and the littoral coast among the preferred destinations
Montevideo continues to be the preferred destination, concentrating the 29% of visitors. In the second place is Punta del Este with an increase of 12% compared with 2015. The third place is for the “thermal littoral” and the fourth for Colonia, with increases of 16,9% and 10% respectively.
But the area with more growth of visitors was Canelones’ “Costa de Oro” (Gold Coast), with 36,1% more visitors.
Source: Montevideo Portal
