The text was sent in March 2017 with the endorsement of the Ministry of Tourism, the National Port Administration (ANP) and the General Directorate of Casinos. As reported by the newspaper El País at that time, it was sought that cruise ships spend more days in Uruguay, understanding that extending the stay visitors will increase their money spent.
Enabling the casinos "would allow tourists to do other types of walks, see different shows and ultimately spread better to Uruguay and in turn allow to improve the indirect income of the cruise activity," says the statement of reasons for the bill.
The topic was included in the agenda of the July 17 session of the Committee on Industry, Energy, Commerce, Tourism and Services of the Senate.
Now, the senators agreed to study the issue in the Commission and to summon for the next sessions the authorities of the Ministry of Tourism, the ANP and the National Directorate of Casinos to hear their comments on the bill.
As reported days ago by the Minister of Tourism, Liliam Kechichián, between December 2018 and April 2019, 146 cruise ships arrived in Montevideo and Punta del Este, surpassing the previous season by registering 256,000 visitors. For the 2019-2020 cruise season she announced that about 200 vessels are expected.
Source: GMB / El País (Uruguay)
