Within the framework of the 67th Meeting of the Regional Commission of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for the Americas, Uruguay hosted the first International Tourism Congress, whose opening was led by Minister Tabaré Viera. The goal is to address challenges regarding the revival of the sector, he said. About 500 people witnessed the activity, including authorities, technicians, operators and specialists.
Also participating in the inauguration, held this Wednesday the 18th at the Enjoy hotel in Punta del Este, were the undersecretary of the portfolio, Remo Monzeglio; the General Director of the Secretariat, Ignacio Curbelo; the national director of Tourism, Roque Baudean; the mayor of Maldonado, Enrique Antía, and the president of the Uruguayan Chamber of Tourism, Marina Cantera. Ministers of Tourism of the Americas, ambassadors, departmental directors of the area and private representatives, as well as technicians, operators and specialists also attended.
During the two days that the congress will last, an analysis will be carried out on the challenges that the sector faces in the post-pandemic reactivation stage, with attention to the subsectors that comprise it, such as sustainable tourism, new forms of marketing and the protection of tourism, specified Viera. “We have to recover the confidence of tourists,” he added.
The minister stressed that this meeting represents an opportunity to listen to other realities and experiences, and stressed that the sector “is one of those that has suffered the most from the consequences of the health crisis, but has also shown great resilience.” In addition, he indicated that this fact should serve to establish guidelines, objectives, new forms of work and prepare the sector for unforeseen events.
Throughout the meeting, different topics will be addressed, among which Viera highlighted: congress tourism, the tourism-territory binomial, electronic marketing and social and accessible tourism. He explained that this last issue implies attending to a fundamental principle: that all people have access to the right to tourism, which also represents an opportunity, he assured.
In the different panels, the impact of the health crisis will be analysed, the management of destinations will be discussed and the new accommodation proposals that are beginning to compete with the hotel sector will be addressed. In this sense, Viera explained that Uruguay is going through a process of drafting a law aimed at regulating housing for tourist use.
In another order, the minister explained that within the framework of the meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas, a seminar will be held to work on the development of an international code for the protection of travelers. The initiative aims to provide guarantees to the visitor, while it will function as a call for coordination between countries and support for operators in the sector.
The 67th edition of the meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas begins on Thursday 19, with the presence of the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili. The arrival of delegations made up of representatives from 25 countries of America is awaited, and the opening will be in charge of the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou. As a result of this meeting, Uruguay is located at the center of the world of tourism, Viera concluded. Presidency
