New Apps set new Boundaries for Rural and Wine Tourism in Uruguay.
The First Latin American Meeting of the World Tourism Organization (OMT) on collaborative economy in the tourist accommodation was recently held in Montevideo showing how tourist service pioneering developments impact positively on tourism in Uruguay.
Tourism in rural areas, including variants such as ecotourism, adventure and solidarity tourism, among others are growing by the day in Uruguay with the help of new online apps. This puts new boundaries on the table to innovative travel experiences in the pursuit of nature to relax in a matchless experience linking tradition and genuine connections in the stunning setback of the Uruguayan countryside.
Visitors coming to the main tourist centers of the country, such as Montevideo, Colonia and Punta Del Este, can now have a wider range of online offers to visit country homes ran by owners inviting visitors to be part of their farm activities and at the same time turning their projects sustainable.
In its struggle to keep its head above regional crisis, land owners are reaching to new tools to connect to visitors and make such visits possible. From small lodges in wineries with almond and olive groves to large farms of cattle where horsemen sit by the fire sharing mate at dawn, today Uruguay offers more than 300 rural destinations on top of the beautiful beaches, some 270 km that unfold up to the border of Brazil.
Proposals are diverse and complete and of excellent quality. Diversity appears and invites to look for specific trends, many of these homes and farms still rely on renewable energies and are concerned about the protection of biodiversity and leading the way to show that it is possible to have a trail of protection of nature and biodiversity.
No doubt that rural and wine tourism in Uruguay is the leading path, not only inexpensive but interactive. Guests understand that it is not only about staying in a room but connecting to simple way of life of the place, sharing with the owners and employees and taking a magnificent journey to the past where there is no hurry, no stress, no traffic and no smog.
New Trends
Rural and wine tourism in Uruguay seek to position themselves as a key attraction to visitors arriving in the country for short periods, such as for example cruise passengers. This is becoming the main attraction for more than 3200 cruise passengers from Europe and the USA who are getting offered day tours and most of them are visiting Uruguay for the first time. 80% of tourists travel with devices that allows them to connect online. New free-form apps are being tested and well received by tourists. Also, as part of a social action, 10% of the turnover will go to social impact projects in the area of activity that the hosts select. Several workshops and seminars improve the quality of services provided that aim to bring the culture of each place together with tourists. Visits organized through tours conducted by local hosts who live in the area are allowing them to earn income by showing their city, region or place of interest.
Diversity is the key to maintain a continuous flow of visitors. Rooms are available with assorted capacity that varies from 40 beds, to small lodges with 2 or 3 rooms. In some areas this activity generates 10 to 15 jobs in the zone of influence. For example, people who manufacture cheese and jam, also fishing tours, town guides, ornithologists or saddlers, just to name a few.
The most Visited Destinations
Many roads in the Uruguayan country- side have become cultural icons. Driving towards a destination in the country is often a fun and entertaining experience. Here’s a selection of activities to find off-the-beaten path, all of them are remarkable.
• If you want to explore the hilly roads, you can embark on a journey to Minas towards the northeast, and continue on a unique route where the road turns into grey rock and gravel. The landscape changes and tourists will find themselves surrounded by peaks and waterfalls near a wonderful viewpoint and lodge.
• Route 10 in direction towards Punta Del Diablo is the location that connects those interested in horseback rides to the dunes towards the rough waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Wineries like Bodega Garzon are always a treat to explore. Visitors can meet the cellar owner and make themselves at home while trying the best varieties of the typical Tanat grape, which has worldwide notoriety. Most of the wineries are within 30 minutes from Montevideo and Punta del Este giving visitors a fun accessible alternative to experience the culture of Uruguay.
• Another notable place to explore is the road called exodus that leads to the larger farmlands in the lush green lands of Uruguay where long horse rides with the local people riding towards the northwest “meseta” of Artigas, a hill that was named after the leader of Uruguay who claimed its independence.
New apps for cell phones and other electronic devices are helping Uruguay to keep tourists from other countries interested in its rural tourism and is allowing our guests the freedom to travel in safety while they enjoy the hospitality of their journey.
Real estate in Uruguay also offers a variety of very interesting architecture from old historic buildings in the Old Town of Montevideo up along the east coast to very modern architecture in and around the Punta del Este and Jose Ignacio area.
By Mary Ann Thompson
