In this framework, Travel2latam had the opportunity to talk with Tabaré Viera, Minister of Tourism of Uruguay.
What are the first sensations when participating in a new edition of Fitur?
It continues to be the most important fair, especially for Latin America, and we see it very well presented with a large number of pavilions and stands. Uruguay is once again here with many operators who accompany us to show the diversity of tourism offerings that the country has. We are in a very comfortable stand, which shows on its screens the different presentations of the diversity of products we have. The World of tourism is here, and here is Uruguay.
What does the European market represent to you and what connectivity does the country have?
We always aspire to improve connectivity and plan to go for more. The flights that today cover direct flights to Uruguay are from Air Europa and Iberia, which fly full, so more frequencies are necessary. There are also options with a stopover in the region. There is a good connection with Europe and for us it is a growth objective. It has already grown by 145% since last year, and therefore tourism is developing very well after the pandemic. The segment is returning to its full potential, people want to travel and Uruguay and South America are a nice destination to visit. It offers a lot of nature, good local cuisine, beautiful beaches and tourism all year round. It is interesting that the fair takes place at a time when we are opening the season and Uruguay is going through the summer season.
What are the objectives that have been set for this year?
We are working to expand non-traditional markets. Historically, Uruguay's main market has been Argentina, which has reached 60% of incoming tourism. Brazil follows next, that is, the regional market has always been very strong.