I♥UY: The PR Gods Are Smiling on Uruguay

So far, 2010 has been a media lovefest for Uruguay. (Pictured: Oceanfront developments in Punta del Este)

If we could dole out awards for the best and worst PR campaigns in the Americas for 2010, the loser by an oily nautical mile would be BP. On the other hand (and hemisphere), the winner would be the Republic of Uruguay.

When InvestBA originally launched, we coined the phrase The Tango Coast to encompass opportunities on both sides of the Rio de la Plata. For every four stories about Argentina, we would unearth a gem about our Mercosur neighbor; however, pro-Uruguay, pro-investment content has been so fast and frequent this year, we had to finally create our own Uruguay channel.

2010 got off to a good start with a Top 20 ranking in the International Living Quality of Life Index, then Spear’s Wealth Management Survey sized up the tax advantages and dubbed Uruguay, A good place to visit your money. The I Love UY parade continued this spring with two new airline deals (Buquebus and Jazz/Pluna) further linking Uruguay with the world, while The New York Times touted the country as an attractive retirement destination for Americans and other foreign buyers.

Then the World Cup kicked into high gear where Diego Forlan & Co. put together an odds-defying performance and silenced the skeptics, including a Miami Herald reporter. Now it seems we’ve come full circle with another glowing International Living piece naming Uruguay, “The New Tourism Leader in Latin America.” Bottom line: If the last six months of 2010 are anything like the first six, Uruguay can look forward to more positive press and an influx of foreign buyers.

For more information about investment opportunities in Argentina and Uruguay, download IncomeBA and the new issue of InvestBA Privada.