The event, organized by the National Secretariat of Tourism in conjunction with UN Tourism, had the support of the Office of the First Lady, CAF and the IDB.
More than 500 people filled the Conmebol Convention Hall, the setting for this initiative that highlights the crucial role that women play in the tourism sector, and that seeks to promote female empowerment, highlight the talent of women in leadership positions, as well as address the gender gap that persists at certain management levels.
This meeting represents a unique platform for the exchange of ideas and the creation of networks that will strengthen the role of women as key agents in the sustainable development of tourism, not only in Paraguay, but throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Opening the seminar, UN Tourism Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic congratulated Paraguay on behalf of the Minister of Tourism for hosting the first seminar. “We have a mandate to promote tourism in our member states in the region, with a shared mission of tourism that offers more opportunities to women, so that gender equality becomes a reality,” she said.
For his part, the Regional Director for the Americas of UN Tourism, Gustavo Santos, commented that, during his last visit to the country, the Secretary General of UN Tourism, Zurab Pololikashvili, highlighted the value of Paraguayan women in the sector and highlighted three specific points.
He recalled the fratricidal war between Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay against Paraguay, and at that bitter moment in history, it was the Paraguayan woman who brought her country back from the ashes.
She also said that it is the only country in the world where women have been the leaders of tourism for more than 20 years.
As a third component, she brought up the commitment of the Presidency of the Republic and of its First Lady as mentors of the most humane of productive activities, tourism. “Humanity is going through an important and transformative moment, which is coexistence with technology, and in this new paradigm, the female role is strategic because women represent the condition of rationality with a share of sensitivity, and when they are involved, success is guaranteed,” she stressed.
Tourism Minister Angie Duarte said at the time that she was excited to see the room full of empowered women. “It has been proven that tourism has a female face and is one of the industries that can benefit most from female inclusion and leadership. However, despite the progress, women continue to face numerous challenges in their full participation,” she added.
She stressed that the government of President Santiago Peña has understood that the tourism industry is not only a source of economic development, but also a powerful engine for gender equality. “Thank you very much, Mrs. Leticia Ocampos de Peña, for your commitment to this cause. For making tourism one of your axes of work, and for the unconditional support you provide to tourism, the promotion of inter-institutional work and mainly the actions that make it possible to support the empowerment of women in the sector,” she said.
Finally, the First Lady said a few words and thanked the opportunity to participate in the first regional conference of UN tourism, because she considers it a fundamental pillar for our development and for the OPD it is one of the axes of work. “Tourism represents not only an economic engine but a unique opportunity to transform lives, connect and work together to create an environment where tourism is accessible, responsible and respectful,” she added.
Former Ministers of Tourism Evanhy de Gallegos (2003-2006), Liz Cramer (2006-2013), Marcela Bacigalupo (2013-2018) and Sofía Montiel de Afara (2018-2023) were also recognized at other times. Each of them was a fundamental piece in strengthening tourism in our country and making it a destination chosen by many visitors today for everything it has to offer.
Fuente: Senatur.