Paulistas in Punta del Este:

rise and consolidation of the destination image through the newspaper Folha de São Paulo (1997 - 2020)

Abstract

This article studies the transformations of the image of Punta del Este (PdE) based
on a characterization of the attributes that are relevant to the place, as well as the way in
which it is invited to look at it as a destination, through what was projected by the Brazilian
newspaper Folha de São Paulo (FdSP) between 1997 and 2020. It follows a period of
international consolidation of the Uruguayan destination, from a press medium linked to one
of the main geographic centers of expansion of the same, such as the Southeast of Brazil.
The study is carried out through an exhaustive categorization of journalistic mentions of PdE,
based on the technique of documentary content analysis. It is revealed that for the period
between 1997 and 2007, a modernizing view of PdE as a coastal city prevails, through an
image around high status with infrastructures of hospitality and sociability. It is also identified
that, from 2008 to 2020, the previous perspective coexists with a growing Brazilian collective
view in the face of the increase in regional flows in its direction, while rural elements as well
as rustic sophistication are evoked and the prestigious signs of the resort increase. This
shows a progressive diversification of the PdE image in addition to a strengthening of the
hierarchy of the place, a consequence of the actions of state as well as private agents, linked
especially to high-end hospitality services, in addition to improvements in infrastructure and
expansion of air, land and river connections, among other various aspects such as the
articulation with the national destinations of Montevideo and Colonia. In short, PdE
demonstrates an ascending process of recognition among the upper middle to upper classes
of the South and Southeast of Brazil, readers of FdSP.