Uruguay offers an ideal environment for congresses, conferences and incentive trips, not only in the capital city but also in other cities of great tourist attraction, such as Colonia and Punta del Este. Uruguayan cities have the advantage of having “everything” at hand and offer visitors multiple leisure alternatives, even for those who arrive with tight work schedules.

Security, first class professionals, services and state-of-the-art technology are some of Uruguay’s comparative advantages for the development of Meeting Tourism.

During 2017 Uruguay hosted more than 352 events, congresses and seminars, including the 2017 Uruguay Junior Chess World Championship, the Pan-American Valuation Congress and the China LAC, among others.

The country is ranked 46th in the ICCA World Ranking and in the ranking of cities in the Americas, Montevideo is ranked 11th and Punta del Este, 52nd.

The growth of the so-called Meetings Tourism is not accidental. Uruguay carries out programs to support the attraction of international events and provides benefits such as VAT exemption for the hiring of venues.

Proof of this is the diversity of prestigious organizations that have chosen Uruguay to hold their meetings. The ICCA World Congress (2005), the Fourth Conference of the Parties COP4 (2010), the X World Congress on Perinatal Medicine (2011), the CII Meeting of the Boards of Governors IDB, the XXII International Symposium on Metal ions in Biology and Medicine (2013), the XXX Inter-American Accounting Conference (2013), China LAC (2017) are just some examples of recent years.

Simultaneously, there has been a significant growth in the hotel sector, which has diversified its offer with the arrival of international chains and, at the same time, two cutting-edge venues have been inaugurated to attract new event profiles in the main tourist destinations in the sector.

Undoubtedly, the Punta del Este Convention Center, inaugurated in July 2016, and the Antel Arena Convention Center, which opened its doors in November 2018, will represent a before and after for Meeting Tourism in the country.

Congress Tourism
Ministry of Tourism

Tel. (+598) 1885 int. 359 – 108