The Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) and the National Institute of Cooperativism (Inacoop) signed an agreement on Tuesday 26 to promote the consolidation of cooperatives in the tourism sector, through training programs, technical assistance, financing and project incubation. Cooperativism is a fundamental instrument to formalize emerging initiatives and ventures, said Minister Viera.
The activity, held at the Mintur headquarters, was accompanied by the head of the portfolio, Tabaré Viera, the general director of the Secretariat, Ignacio Curbelo, and the president of Inacoop, Martín Fernández.
The objective is to coordinate efforts to promote complementarity in the design and execution of policies in matters of cooperativism. In this sense, there will be a tendency to expand the exchange of information and the joint work of technicians, in order to optimize resources.
In his speech, Viera pointed out the importance of the tourism sector in the national economy and highlighted that cooperativism is a fundamental instrument to regularize initiatives and undertakings that are being developed with great momentum throughout the territory.
He recalled that, although the pandemic strongly affected the sector, it also meant opportunities for small producers and entrepreneurs who present offers, especially in the interior of the country, where internal tourism was strengthened and the number of proposals increased.
He assured that the agreement represents the first step in strengthening cooperativism in the sector and a good solution to regularize various activities that are carried out, especially in small towns.
For his part, Fernández mentioned that the Government’s priority is to generate employment and that this agreement strengthens that objective, because it promotes genuine work for Uruguayans linked to a fundamental sector for the economy.
He explained that there are cooperatives that are already working on the issue, as in the case of Bella Unión and the protected area of Rincón de Franquía.
He indicated that the institute will offer training to cooperative members and workers, financing and the possibility of promoting some cooperatives from the beginning so that they provide services in the face of future tourist demands. In addition, one of the main guiding principles of cooperativism is sustainability, fundamental for the development of tourism products, he concluded.
