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 Río 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♥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 Forlán & 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 Uruguay investment opportunities and premier luxury properties, download the July edition of InvestBA Privada.

Argentina sent 1.2 million tourists to Brazil in 2009, while the United States sent over 600,000.

At the height of the summer travel season, we posed the question, Where do Brazilians go when they need a little D&R (Descanso e Relaxmento)? Judging by the Portuguese-speaking throngs on the slopes of Bariloche or in the trendiest parrillas in Puerto Madero, we surmised, Argentina was a safe bet. Now the flip-side of that tourism coin: A record number of Argentines visited Brazil last year, and a major public/private sector marketing campaign is priming the tourism pump for more in 2010. Over 1.2 million Argentines visited Brazil in 2009, a 19% increase over 2008, in a year when total visitors to Brazil actually declined slightly by 5%. Argentines account for 1 out of every 4 visitors to the Mercosur neighbor followed by the United States which sent over 600,000 travelers to Brazil, roughly 12% of the 4.8 million total visitors. In an exclamatory effort to keep a good thing going, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, Embratur, recently launched an aggressive marketing campaign called ¡Brasil Ahora! (Brazil Now!). Full-page advertisements in Clarín and La Nación promote discounted vacation packages to beautiful Brazilian destinations like Florianópolis, Salvador, Búzios and Pipa. Fortunately for Argentines, there is no shortage of flights from Ezeiza and Aeroparque. Major airlines like GOL, TAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas are participating in the ¡Brasil Ahora! promotion, while short-haul carriers like Pluna and Buquebus offer attractive airfare options. Embratur says the goal of the campaign is to introduce foreign travelers to new Brazilian destinations in the years leading up to the 2014 World Cup. According to the government report, of the 1.2 million Argentine visitors, 77% entered Brazil for pleasure, the average stay was 11 days, and Florianópolis was the #1 destination.

Well-known ferry operator Buquebus takes to the friendly skies between BA & Punta later this week.

With Holy Week underway, many Argentines are preparing for one last family vacation on the beaches of Uruguay. On the receiving end of the tourist influx and revenue from Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay designates this week as Tourism Week. Seizing the moment and simultaneously injecting some needed competition in the short-haul arena, Buquebus is launching direct air service from Buenos Aires to Punta del Este. According to La Nación, the well-known ferry and bus operator plans to offer three flights daily from Aeroparque Jorge Newberry to Punta’s Laguna del Sauce International Airport aboard a fleet of new ATR 72-500s. Buquebus has already purchased two of the planes, two more will be acquired before year-end and the company retains the option to buy a fifth and sixth aircraft in 2011. The fleet acquisitions coincide with the planned addition of new Buquebus routes from Punta del Este to Porto Alegre (Brazil), Ezeiza International Airport and Salto, Uruguay. When asked about tickets, Buquebus CEO Juan Patricio López said they will be competitively priced with occasional promotions “to stimulate travel among Argentines who have a house in Punta del Este and want to fly more frequently.” In other BA airline news, Texas-based American Airlines announced a third seasonal flight from Miami to Buenos Aires. “Argentina offers our customers looking for a South American vacation a rich and unique cultural experience,” said American SVP Peter Dolara. “Known for being an important financial center, Buenos Aires is also a popular destination for our business travelers.” The third Miami-Ezeiza flight will operate from July 2 to August 23. (Buquebus Online, On Twitter)

Shabby Chic: A renovated estancia near Colonia, Uruguay (Source: Lucy Gilmore)

“Summertime…and the living is easy.” That’s what The Guardian’s Lucy Gilmore discovered during her recent trip to Uruguay. Gilmore visited some of the hidden gems of the Tango Coast including the port town of Colonia del Sacramento and some beautiful renovated estancias just a few kilometers inland. The estancias, which date back to the 1880′s, are finding new life as “designer farms” as young Argentine professionals, perhaps seeking a better work/life balance, are opting for Uruguay’s bucolic charms. One of the architects Gillmore stayed with completely renovated his estancia which she describes as “whitewashed and low-lying, with five bedrooms, the style is shabby chic: old shutters, wooden floors, and beds draped with muslin canopies.” I myself am just back from end of the year vacations in Uruguay which ranged from the natural beauty of Colonia to the noise and nightlife of Punta del Este. Like Miss Gilmore, I find myself gravitating more toward the peace and tranquility of the former. The coastline drive from Piriápolis west to Colonia is beautiful (Photo), and the terrain looks more like Central Virginia than South America. I have another Argentine friend, Andrés, who takes his family to their WiFi-enabled estancia in Colonia for the entire month of January. As a web designer, he doesn’t miss a beat, and the close proximity to Buenos Aires makes commuting via Buquebus a cinch. With more stories like this and last year’s NuWire Investor piece, Uruguay will continue to attract more foreign property investors in 2010. (Full Article)