Pablo, You are an electrical engineer who spent 27 years building telecommunications infrastructure — fiber optics, IoT networks, connected vehicles and telemedicine systems – to
name a few. Then one day you became responsible for selling Uruguay to the world’s travelers. What does a man who thinks in systems and data see when he looks at tourism that
a traditional tourism minister might completely miss?

 First of all, I am not only an electrical engineer, but also a postgraduate in management, so my scientific thinking is complemented by my public management skills, which I have acquired both academically and through different roles within the public administration.

The main thing is; I guess, the data driven decision making. I can certainly apply the scientific method to the management.

Since 1999 you use a wheelchair. You now lead a ministry responsible for the movement, access, and experience of millions of people across an entire country. Has your own experience of navigating the world differently made you think about tourism infrastructure and accessibility in ways that would never have occurred to someone who hasn’t lived it?

Me, using a wheelchair, is not a big deal for me. In just one year as a Minster, I have traveled more than forty five thousand kilometers throughout Uruguay － by car. This is, I hope, leading to a greater awareness of accessibility in general.

To put it simply: “The minister is coming, are we all set to
make our place accessible?”

Once they start down that path, they might realize that if they aren’t, they’re losing about 10% of their customers.

Uruguay closed 2025 with 3.6 million International visitors and tourism revenue of $2billion USD — the second best year in the country’s history. But you have said publicly and
precisely honest: There is a ceiling at 3.5 to 3.6 million visitors that Uruguay has never broken.

An engineer doesn’t just describe a ceiling — he calculates how to remove it. What exactly is that ceiling made of, and what is your blueprint for breaking through it?

We will be stuck there, unless we do some innovative and disruptive things; which are, among many others －to use AI at the promotion and to improve our connectivity.

We’ve already working in both things.

And last but not least, the only way to position our products in the region and the world is to differentiate ourselves through excellence. Competitiveness is gained by adding differential values to our tourism products. Doing these things, systematically and methodically is where the key point is.

You told Forbes Uruguay that improving air connectivity is “one of your obsessions.” The airport in Carrasco has capacity for 4 million passengers a year but it’s currently receiving half of that.

You have designed a cash-back incentive mechanism for airlines built into the national budget law — a public-private coinvestment model. Explain how that mechanism works and why an engineer designed it differently than a politician would have.

It is mainly by doing a cash rebate. That is － making a cash refund for each incremental ticket sold to a foreigner, when comparing year-over-year sales or each new air route.
The main engineering involved here is benchmarking, minimizing risks and a scientific method driven plan.

Uruguay has the highest inbound tourism per capita ratio in Latin America — more than one tourist per resident. Yet most North American travelers still cannot place Uruguay on a
map with confidence. They know Punta del Este vaguely, perhaps Montevideo. For a BajaTraveler® reader with 12 days and a serious budget who thinks they have already seen
South America — make the case for the Uruguay they have never heard of.

Uruguay is a quiet, a small and a beautiful country.  I’m not trying to overwhelm you, but Uruguay rewards travelers
who value space, texture and time.

If you want sun and beach with glamour － we have it.
If you like the more relaxed destinations － we have
them.
If you want the tranquility of a countryside while enjoying a Tannat wine and tasting our cheeses and meats － we have it.

If you want to learn about our culture, our candombe (google it and then feel it), which represents the best of the drums of our ancestors, or the culture of our gauchos, we are ready.

If you want to relax in our medicinal waters (scientifically proven) in the coastal thermal baths － we have them.

Are we different from the rest? Yes, we are. Our proximity without pressure, sophistication without spectacle, and safety and easy way makes the difference.

And budget is not an issue. There is
only one way to enjoy Uruguay － freely.

Uruguay will surprise you.

The 2026 summer season revealed something fascinating — Uruguay’s tourism is growing more in value than in volume. The average spend per visitor rose nearly 12% while visitor
numbers stayed flat. Most ministers would celebrate the volume. You seem to be building something more interesting.

Is Uruguay consciously choosing quality over quantity — and if so, what kind of traveler are you actually trying to attract?

The obvious, textbook answer would be: all types of tourists, we have room and options for everyone. But, please let me tell you, that, as we’re making offers and therefore searching based on segments, each segment has its own things to enjoy.

So, generally speaking, I’d say that if you’re looking to enjoy the freedom to love and enjoy, peaceful, beautiful places, unforgettable experiences, and friendly and respectful environments, Uruguay is the place.

You have 30,000 small and medium Tourism businesses in Uruguay — but only 3,000 are registered with your ministry. That means 27,000 enterprises that offer experiences, beds,
meals, and stories to travelers are essentially invisible to the state.

For a Luxury traveler, those informal businesses are often the most authentic encounters of a trip. How do you bring
them into the formal economy without destroying the very informality that makes them special?

We’re working on it; we want all operators to be registered. This is especially important because we want workers and tourists to enjoy the benefits safely. Please let me disagree with you, formal businesses do provide authentic experiences. The authenticity does not depend on formality.

Uruguay has relaunched its National Social Tourism System — establishing by law that “Travel is not a Luxury but a Social Right for every citizen.” That is a remarkable philosophical
statement. At the same time you are trying to attract high-net-worth International travelers who spend $713USD per visit. How do you hold both of those truths simultaneously —
Tourism as a right for Uruguayans and Tourism as a premium product for the world?

There’s no big deal at all; social tourism isn’t and never will be tourism just for the poor. Everyone should be able to enjoy the same opportunities. The way we’ve found to achieve this is, is by applying demand-side incentives, that is: subsidies for users of the National Social Tourism System.

You noted publicly that Uruguay could benefit from the current geopolitical moment — that travelers who feel unwelcome in destinations in the northern hemisphere and are looking for alternatives that offer full, unconditional are welcome. Uruguay is stable, safe, open, and institutionally predictable in ways that very few countries on earth can genuinely claim. How are you converting that geopolitical advantage into actual bookings from the U.S. and
Canadian markets?

We do not intend to profit from the misfortunes of other citizens of the world. We are simply saying that in Uruguay there are options to enjoy tourism in a peaceful environment without any restrictions.

You built fiber optic networks that connected Uruguay to the world. You built transport systems that moved people through a city. Now you are building the infrastructure of desire— the reason people cross oceans to reach a small country between two giants. When you look at Uruguay not as an engineer but as a traveler — as the person born in Salto who grew up watching the sunset over the Uruguay River — what is the single thing about this country that
you believe the world simply cannot afford to miss?

You can’t imagine how much I miss those sunsets! I am not that naive to think that they are the best in the world, but please believe me, they are amazing!

If I could only put into words my feelings, express how emotional I feel when I am in our beaches, in our country side, in our natural hot springs, in our semiprecious stone mines or tasting our wines, our barbecue (please learn how to say it: “asado”), but forgive me it is not that easy to express…

As you can see, there is not one single thing, there are plenty of things! If you come to Uruguay you will feel the luxury of living time, not chasing it.