Uruguayan soccer players to promote tourism in Europe

Uruguay’s top four soccer players in the European League signed up a governmental effort to urge vacationers in the Old World to travel to their hometown provinces. Pablo Montero, Gonzalo de los Santos, Ivan Alonso y Diego Forlan were appointed “honorary tourist representatives” in their own locations.

The appointments are part of an effort aimed at egging European tourists to travel to Uruguay by tapping into the image of local soccer players playing overseas.

The players’ action range will be no other than their own leagues. Montero, for instance, plays for Italy’s Juventus. De los Santos plays for Spain’s Valencia; Alonso for the Alaves (also in Spain), and Forlan does it for the Manchester United in the United Kingdom.

The four tourist representatives –they will earn no salary because of their honorary status- will soon attend the appointment ceremony in Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, where they’re spending their off-season vacations.