Uruguay boosts its tourism strategy with the first edition of Expo Turismo

Uruguay held the first edition of Expo Turismo, a new meeting space for the industry that brought together companies, destinations, operators and authorities with the aim of strengthening the development of the sector and projecting its growth at a regional level.

The first edition took place on Friday 17, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April at the LATU Innovation Park, with the participation of more than 90 national and international companies that presented destinations, services and experiences.

The initiative is positioned as a strategic platform to showcase the country's tourism offerings, foster partnerships, and generate business opportunities in a context of consolidation of inbound tourism, particularly from Argentina, the main source market.

In this context, the most recent data published by the Research and Statistics Department reflects the magnitude of Argentine tourism to Uruguay. Between December 2025 and February 2026, an estimated 866,680 visitors were recorded, generating a total expenditure of US$595.2 million, with an average expenditure per person of US$687 and an average stay of 7.4 nights.

Leisure and vacation tourism continues to be the main driver of this movement, with over 523,000 visitors and spending of nearly US$485.8 million, accompanied by longer stays and higher levels of consumption. Meanwhile, segments such as business tourism show the highest average spending, reaching US$1,559 per visitor.

In terms of spending distribution, accommodation and food account for the largest share, with US$221.81 million and US$191.81 million respectively, followed by culture, shopping, and transportation. This data reflects a direct impact on various value chains within the tourism sector.

The analysis by destination confirms the positioning of the country's main tourist hubs. Maldonado leads by a wide margin in terms of visitors and spending, with more than 336,000 tourists and US$436.1 million generated, driven especially by Punta del Este, which alone attracted 278,575 visitors and US$377.2 million in spending, with stays averaging more than 12 days.

Montevideo and Colonia also maintain their relevance on the tourist map, with proposals that combine culture, gastronomy and geographical proximity, especially valued by the Argentine public.

Regarding entry points, the importance of border crossings and river connections stands out, with Fray Bentos, Paysandú and the port of Colonia concentrating a large part of the flow, which reaffirms direct connectivity as a key factor in the choice of destination.

The visitor profile shows a strong concentration in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, which contributed more than 410,000 tourists and US$333 million in spending, followed by other regions such as the interior of Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Córdoba and Rosario, which also show sustained growth.

Expo Turismo takes place within this context of expansion and diversification of the sector, consolidating a space that seeks to accompany the evolution of demand and strengthen the articulation between the different actors of the industry.

Tourism Minister Pablo Menoni highlighted the impact of the initiative: “The success we are seeing in this first edition is very important. It is key to be able to showcase ourselves, not only to promote domestic tourism, but also to boost international travel and position tourism as one of the country's most important productive sectors.”

With this first edition, Uruguay takes another step in building an integrated tourism agenda, focusing on innovation, international promotion and sustainable development of the sector.