Montevideo Welcomes New Tourism Law Observatory Office

New Office in Montevideo to Oversee Tourism Laws in Latin America

The first thematic office of UN Tourism will be located in the Americas region and will concentrate on legal matters. With the signing of the Collaboration Agreement between the Ministry of Tourism of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and UN Tourism for the establishment of the Organization's first thematic office, the headquarters of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean has been inaugurated at the United Nations House in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The ceremony was attended by His Excellency, the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou; the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the country, Pablo Ruiz; the Minister of Tourism, Eduardo Sanguinetti; Senator and former Minister of Tourism Tabaré Viera; and the Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Ignacio Curbelo. In attendance on behalf of UN Tourism were Gustavo Santos, Regional Director for the Americas; Alicia Gómez, Legal Counsel of the Organization; and Julio Facal, a member of the UN Tourism World Committee on Tourism Ethics. Also participating were the Minister of Tourism of Brazil, Celso Sabino; the Lead Tourism Specialist of the Inter-American Development Bank, Juliana Bettini; academic collaborators of the Observatory; and prestigious jurists from Spain, Chile, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, and other authorities of the Americas.

The UN Tourism and the Inter-American Development Bank are collaborating to create the Observatory. This will involve the development of an innovative digital tool called "TurismoLex", which will contain a database compiling the tourism legislation of the LAC area. Additionally, the tool will include a virtual classroom, a community of practices and regulatory quality indicators. The Observatory will serve as an interactive platform where the public, private, and academic sectors can share best practices and discuss legislative trends in tourism in the region.

The Tourism Observatory is an important resource that will assist governments, policymakers, and public and private entities in the tourism sector to develop and implement more unified, coherent, and effective legal frameworks. Additionally, the Observatory provides a platform for collaboration with esteemed higher education institutions to conduct studies and technical reports and establish working groups focused on Tourism Law, addressing the needs presented by states and industry operators.

Based on this background, the Observatory, set to commence operations in 2025, aims to enhance the quality of tourism regulations. It will also function as a technical platform advocating for suitable regulations in the region, generating reports and studies to assist authorities in crafting legislation that aligns with the sector's needs. This will facilitate regional regulatory collaboration, enhance cross-border relations, and promote the harmonious development of tourism laws.

Uruguay's proposal to host the headquarters of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean received unanimous support from all members of the Americas region at the recent meeting of the Regional Commission held in Varadero, Cuba, last April. The proposal was subsequently approved at the 121st session of the Executive Council in Barcelona on June 11 of this year. It will now be presented for ratification at the 26th session of the UN Tourism General Assembly.

Under Uruguay's leadership, the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean is set to play a crucial role in shaping the legal landscape of the tourism sector, addressing regulatory challenges, and identifying opportunities for growth and innovation.