Uruguay presented the Tools for the Promotion of Sustainable Tourism

Particularly Tourism in Rural and Natural Spaces (TERN) which was extremely attractive and had exponential growth during the pandemic, allows diversification and seasonality of the activity, being able to develop throughout the country and in any part of the year.

Honoring the commitments assumed in the Paris Agreement, Uruguay presented its first Nationally Determined Intended Contribution (NDC), in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase its ability to adapt to the adverse effects of the climate change.

Tourist Green Stamp

The Tourism Green Seal is a recognition system for tourist accommodation services in order to encourage the incorporation of the opportunities and risks of climate change in the business models of the sector, as well as other sustainability criteria.

MINTUR developed the conceptual framework of the Tourism Green Seal (SVT) whose main attributes are arranged in three main thematic axes, which make tourism, environmental and local management with qualification criteria on regulatory compliance, tourist quality, good environmental and social practices , as well as those related to mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Within this framework, the goal of tourism activity is established to lower CO2 emissions by 2025: for this purpose, the Tourism Green Seal is being presented, with which it will seek to recognize at least 4% of the accommodation establishments that achieve the goal. .

Application requirements

Be registered in the Registry of Tourism Service Providers of the Ministry of Tourism.

Comply with labor and social security regulations for all staff.

Have environmental authorization from the Ministry of Environment, for cases in which Law 16,466 (Environmental Impact Assessment Law) and its regulations are applicable.

Have a comprehensive waste management system, in accordance with good practices and what is required by current national and departmental regulations.

Have an adequate effluent management system, or connection to public sanitation, in accordance with good practices and what is required in current national and departmental regulations.

Have basic conditions of facilities, equipment and management practices for an efficient use of water.

Have basic conditions of facilities, equipment and management practices to promote energy efficiency.

Have basic conditions of facilities, equipment and management practices to avoid significant emissions of greenhouse gases or other polluting emissions.

Have basic conditions of facilities, equipment and management practices to avoid spills and dispersion of soil and water pollutants.

Have basic conditions of facilities and equipment to prevent accidents, and contingency plans according to the risks inherent to the type of establishment.

Select inputs for all processes (cleaning, laundry, food, etc.) according to options with lower environmental impacts before and after use.

Consider the enhancement and protection of elements of environmental interest that are inherent to the environment in which it is located (landscape, ecosystems, vegetation, fauna, water, etc.).

Consider the enhancement and protection of elements of cultural interest, tangible or intangible, that are inherent to the environment in which it is located.

To have integrated harmoniously into the local community.

The application will be made from June 15 to July 30 through the MINTUR website by completing an electronic form, with all the information necessary for the evaluation.

The delivery of the Green Seals will take place during the Expo Prado 2023 from September 8 to 16.

COMPETITION FUND FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF THE TOURISM SUPPLY IN RURAL AND NATURAL SPACES

It is an instrument that seeks to strengthen and enhance the tourism offer in Uruguay, covering ecotourism, adventure tourism, agrotourism, equestrian tourism, astronomical tourism and rural community tourism.

The fund is divided into three categories, of which they can only be presented in one of them:

A. Ecotourism/Adventure Tourism

B. Equestrian Tourism

C. Agrotourism

For this call, a total of $U 2,000,000.- (Uruguayan pesos two million) has been allocated for the set of proposals that are selected.

The call is addressed to Companies (legal entity) registered with MINTUR or in the process of registration (if applicable).

Postulation

Those who want to participate in the Competitive Fund must complete the application form before July 14, at 2:00 p.m., which is accessed through the MINTUR website.

speeches

Within the scope of this presentation, the Minister of the Environment, Robert Bouvier, thanked Minister Tabaré Viera for his collaboration at the beginning of the Expo Uruguay Sostenible project and in this sense expressed: "it is something rare that happens in our country, but that it creates a lot of value for us. The productive, industrial, tourist activity together with the Ministry of the Environment, we are all working together and it is very important. In Uruguay we have an Executive Power that prioritized and created the Ministry of the Environment and gave environmental policies the same hierarchy as the others”, he remarked.

For his part, the Minister of Tourism, Tabaré Viera, pointed out that "Today the environmental issue, that of production or any activity that is sustainable with the environment, is even from the commercial aspect, almost an obligation."

Viera expressed that from public policies and in the case of the Ministry of Tourism, within the scope of the Sustainable Expo, a quality certification was launched on the subject: "The Green Seal", which will be available from next week on the MINTUR website, and which seeks to certify accommodation companies in principle, which meet a series of requirements that will be determined. MINTUR's goal is to contribute to the objective that Uruguay has committed to, of reaching certain percentages in this area, Viera said.

Asked about the incentive for companies in this certification, Viera said that: "The great incentive today is to be certified, it is the qualification itself. Just as the country is rated by some economic rating agencies, or when users rate establishments on different networks or platforms.

Likewise, the chief highlighted that this opportunity has no cost, as well as the Competitive Fund presented at the conference with prizes of up to $500,000, for the development of tourism in rural and natural spaces, which in addition to economic support, will have technical support. of the Ministry, for the development of products that are already operating, as well as in new ventures. The hierarch stressed that this tourist offer is an ideal complement, which has managed to decentralize and seasonally adjust the offer.

Viera also stressed that today tourists throughout the world are looking for experiential tourism, in rural and natural spaces, ecotourism, adventure tourism, wine tourism, as a complement to traditional sun and beach tourism, and directly linked to tourism sustainable. And in this sense he expressed: "our goal and objective is that the tourist enjoys and that it is also part of the protection of the environment," he said.