Argentines may still outnumber Brazilians during the peak vacation months in Punta del Este, but there’s reason to believe hoteliers and restaurateurs perk up a little more when Portuguese-speaking patrons enter their establishments. A new study by ADIPE, the Punta Real Estate Chamber, measures the amount of tourist spending by nationality, and the bottom line is Brazilians spend much more than Argentines do when they take their Ferias no Uruguai.
“Brazilians have much greater purchasing power, and they don’t worry so much about spending when they’re on vacation,” one source told Diario Catarinense. Punta is the destination of choice for Brazilians in the summer months, but Montevideo is now seeing the greatest influx the rest of the year, a trend we first spotted last August when MVD nudged PDE.
Back in Brazil, the president of Santa Catarina’s Tourism Board, Valdir Walendowsky, says Punta del Este now competes with Brazilian destinations like Florianopolis, Buzios and Angora dos Reis for the coveted free-spending Brazilian tourist. “Punta del Este is a destination for those seeking charm, the nightlife, for those traveling on a yacht, like Buzios,” Walendowsky says.
He says Punta has lured some Brazilian tourists away from Florianopolis in recent years and, even though a Floripa vacation might be cheaper than a Punta excursion, he acknowledges real estate in Punta is still cheaper than Florianopolis where the price/square foot is rising 12-15% annually. (Full Story in Portuguese)
For more information about investment opportunities and unique destinations in Uruguay, check out the Discover Uruguay feature in the new issue of InvestBA Privada.









