The Junior Pan American Games ASU 2025, held from 9 to 23 August 2025, generated an economic windfall exceeding US$23 million for Paraguay’s tourism industry. The tourism boost from ASU2025 is propelled by a significant influx of international visitors and heightened activity across related service sectors.
Building on this success, more than 10,272 visitors from abroad directly linked to the Games arrived, including athletes, coaches, officials, media representatives, technical staff, volunteers, and accompanying parties. This figure is based on data from the Yearbook of the Meetings Tourism Observatory, and the National Directorate of Migration.
Hotel occupancy over 80%
Hotel occupancy soared above 80% across Asunción and Greater Asunción, particularly around competition venues, signalling a strong revival in the hospitality, dining, and tourism services sectors. The event provided substantial support for local entrepreneurs, and set a powerful precedent for future international sporting and cultural showcases, following the tourism boost from ASU2025.
The international cohort comprised approximately 7,000 active participants from other countries, among them 4,014 athletes, 762 judges, 46 technical delegates, 300 sporting authorities, 5 international advisors, and 300 volunteers. On the home front, Paraguay enlisted over 10,000 local volunteers, 320 domestic athletes, and roughly 1,000 professionals, including officials, technical staff, and logistics personnel, to ensure the event ran smoothly.
Reflecting on visitor satisfaction, a National Tourism Secretariat (Senatur) survey of over 800 respondents revealed very high ratings for hospitality, organisation, and the quality of sporting facilities, according to Senatur. These findings strengthen Paraguay’s image as a dependable and welcoming host of large-scale international events.
Impact extending beyond the sports arenas
The Games concluded on Saturday 23 August, 2025, with a historic balance for Paraguay. Beyond the economic gains, Team Paraguay secured a total of 23 medals, placing the host nation 14th out of 34 participating countries.
The impact extended well beyond the sports arenas. In the final fortnight of August alone, more than 200,000 tourist entries into the country were recorded, with the Games playing a decisive role in attracting visitors from across the Americas and further afield. This upward momentum continues with the WRC Rally of Paraguay and the first International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Alto Paraná (28 to 31 August, 2025), which will bring together 30 pilots from around the world.
In staging the Games with distinction, Paraguay not only earned recognition on the regional sporting stage, but also consolidated its emerging role as a compelling tourism destination in Latin America. Leaving a lasting impression of organisation, hospitality, and growth on both the regional, and international stage.
