URUGUAY INVESTS IN LGBTQ TOURISM

ME News - Uruguayan Tourism Minister Liliam Kechichián said at a conference to focus more on LGBTQ tourism.

1,975,700 tourists visited the South American country between 1 January and 31 August 2015. An increase of almost nine percent compared to the same period of the year before.

Tourism

Uruguay is not an important tourist country, most tourists come from the neighboring country Argentina and mainly visit the beautiful sandy beaches of Punta del Este on the Atlantic coast. Cities such as Montevideo with its attractive nineteenth-century architecture - the southernmost capital of the continent and one of the 30 safest cities in the world - and the colonial port town of Colonia del Sacremento attract quite a few tourists. The old part of this town is also on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage.

Choosing Uruguay

Minister Liliam Kechichián said that partly thanks to the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2013, more LGBTQ tourists are coming to the South American country. The minister spoke explicitly in favor of LGBTQ tourism during a meeting with other South American tourism ministers from the Mercosur Customs Union, saying that it is gratifying that LGBTQ people are choosing Uruguay.

Travelling more

More and more countries are now realizing that there is quite a bit of money to be made from LGBTQ tourists. Previous studies have confirmed that LGBTQ people travel and spend more money on trips than most straight people. According to figures from the World Tourism Organization, LGBTQ tourism already had an economic impact of 140,000 million dollars worldwide in 2012.

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TEXT
​Thierry Hanan Scheers

PICTURES
Wokandapix via Pixabay

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Thierry Hanan Scheers

Thierry Hanan loves to travel without something to plan in advance and let everything just be what it is. Thierry Hanan has no fears to leave just on foot or by hitchhiking. Destination? Somewhere, nowhere and everywhere.

#traveller #backpacker
​#storyteller

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