Turismo Social: Uruguay Celebrates Turismo Para Todos
The National System of Social Tourism in Uruguay emerged with the purpose of facilitating the enjoyment of free time and recreation, to as many Uruguayans as possible.
The goal is to make travel possible throughout Uruguay at affordable prices for everyone, from senior citizens, to youth, to workers and students.
Uruguayans view access to domestic tourism as a human right and are committed to removing the barriers that prevent Uruguays from traveling and sampling experiences across their beautiful country. The initiative focuses on democratizing travel and recreation while boosting the local tourism economy, year round.
Its main antecedent is the Tourism Program for Retirees and Pensioners which started in 2009. The Turismo Para Todos with a focus on workers began in 2009 and in 2011, and expanded its programming to include Quinceañeras, Student Tourism, Day Travel programs and Jóvenes Tourism excursions.
In 2012, the Tourism for Older Adults program was incorporated by MINTUR as a complementary initiative to the holiday stays promoted by government programs. Finally, in 2017, the Day Tours modality was incorporated through an agreement between MINTUR (Ministerio de Turismo, Uruguay) and BPS.
The objective of Turismo Social is to ensure that all Uruguayans exercise their right to tourism travel in adequate conditions of accessibility, comfort, economy and safety.
For Uruguay, Turismo para Todos (Tourism for Everyone) is a Human Right. Turismo Social develops its programs with the aim of providing all Uruguayans with travel proposals throughout the national territory, thereby helping to improve their quality of life.
On the other hand, the national initiative contributes to the maintenance of employment and economic activity, alleviating the consequences that the phenomenon of seasonality produces in terms of employment in the country’s tourism sector.
Turismo Para Todos-Seniors
The social tourism program for older adults is aimed at all retirees and pensioners regardless of their income level.
The program aspires that the beneficiaries, in addition to visiting new destinations in their own country of Uruguay, can enjoy their free time and recreation, improving their quality of life, active aging and independence in the elderly.
Requirements to access the Seniors program
Seniors can access these packages individually or through associations, clubs and social organizations. If the individual income of the traveler is less than $19,240 (Uruguayan pesos), a subsidy to cover travel costs may be requested from the Ministry of Tourism.
Travel Mode Available
Group excursions of three days and two nights on any day of the week including weekends.
Services included in the program
- Two nights accommodation with breakfast
- Three meals
- Roundtrip transfers from the departure location to the chosen destination
- City tours, walks and complementary activities according to destination and time of year
Prices according to destinations
The general prices vary according to destination. They apply to each particular trip, and range between 3000 and 6000 pesos per person on a double basis. The cost can also be financed in 6 or more installments through social credit, or through the financing offered by the agency that sells the package.
Appraisal of requests
Applications are subject to verification of the income declared by the applicant.
Commercialization
Proposals for the elderly program are marketed in travel agencies connected to the National Social Tourism System throughout the country. The packages are available for sale in various travel agencies.
Who is it for?
Retirees and pensioners regardless of their income level.
Turismo Para Todos-Students
The program provides third-year high school students and students attending Agrarian Schools from all over the country, to access a travel program that culminates in the end-of-year trip. The goal is provide high school students with access to travel opportunities in Uruguay.
Description
The groups must have a maximum of 40 members between students and teachers (36 students + 4 teachers) and a minimum of 35 passengers in total is necessary to make the trip.
Travel mode
Two day one night group tour on weekdays.
Services included in the program:
- One night accommodation with breakfast
- A meal*
- Roundtrip transfers from the departure location to the chosen destination
- City tours, walks and complementary activities according to destination and time of year.
Prices according to destinations
The costs per package per person vary between 1000 and 1800 pesos according to the chosen destination.
Commercialization
Travel proposals are presented in advance for the group to choose the destination, each group is assigned an agency connected to social tourism in their locality.
Turismo Para Todos-Quinceañeras
This is a joint program between the Ministry of Tourism, the Social Security Bank and the Ministry of Education and Culture.
It aims for students who turn fifteen during the current year, to access a group trip that encourages independence, playful integration, opening the possibility of knowing places and services from an inclusive and integrating perspective.
Goals
The program promotes good schooling for participation. Benefits youth turning 15 who are members of families that receive subsidies.
Travel mode
Group excursion of three days and two nights on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in six annual trips.
- Services included in the program
- Two nights of accommodation with breakfasts, three lunches, three snacks, two dinners.
- Quinceañeras party in each destination.
- City tours, walks and complementary activities in all destinations.
Prices according to destination
The cost for all items is $ 800 per beneficiary, which will be deducted in one or three installments from her family allowance.
Commercialization
The services of this program are not marketed in local travel agencies, to participate in it, they must be presented during the registration period at family service offices in the participant’s locality.
Who is it for?
Beneficiaries of BPS Family Allowances throughout the national territory of Uruguay.
Turismo Para Todos-Workers
The Social Tourism workers program aims to offer families of active workers in the public and private sectors the possibility of taking affordable trips over the weekend.
Goals
To enable active workers and their families to access weekend tourism proposals throughout the year. All active workers in the public and / or private sector can access the program, regardless of their income level, through the social tourism workers program.
Travel mode
Group tour of two days and one night
- One night accommodation with breakfast
- A meal
- Roundtrip transfers from the departure location to the chosen destination
- City tours, walks and complementary activities according to destination and time of year.
Prices according to destinations
The costs per package per person vary between 3000 and 5000 pesos according to the chosen destination. Prices can also be financed in 6 or more installments through social credit, or in the financing offered by the agency that sells the package.
Transport subsidy application
Those workers, whose nominal income per family group makes them eligible can access discounts on transportation for the direct family group of each package in two annual trips.
Appraisal of requests
Applications are subject to verification of the income declared by the applicant.
Who is it for?
Active workers in the public and private sectors.
Turismo for Young People and Adolescents
Who is it for?
Groups of young people and adolescents linked to organizations that carry out social and cultural promotion activities.
Goals
Provides groups of young people with access to youth tourism program. Those interested must send a formal note showing interest in participating in the program, by email to [email protected].
Travel mode
Group tour of two days and one night on weekdays.
- One night accommodation with breakfast
- A meal*
- Roundtrip transfers from the departure location to the chosen destination
- City tours, walks and complementary activities according to destination and time of year.
Turismo del Dia
The social tourism program, Day Travel program, offers a travel alternative for those who do not wish to participate in overnight trips. The destinations of this program are subject to a maximum radius of 200 km from Montevideo, in order to ensure the correct round trip transfer on the same day of travel. It is open to the general public.
Travel mode
Group excursion for the day.
- Services included in the program
Transfers to and from destination - 1 lunch
- 1 breakfast or snack
- City tours, walks and complementary activities according to destination and time of year.
- The prices for this program vary between $ 800 and $ 1500 per person.
To learn more about traveling to Uruguay, visit:
Uruguay Natural, Ministerio de Turismo
Soledad Quartucci | Latina Republic
Dr. Soledad Quartucci is the founder and CEO of Latina Republic, a 501(C)3 California-based nonprofit organization. Latina Republic is committed to improving the diversity and professional development of storytellers in the media industry as representation matters and affects the stories we tell. Latina Republic makes space for and empowers unheard voices and trains the next generation of leaders in the U.S.
