The results of the analysis of the area and the strategic focus that will be part of the Tourism Strategic and Competitiveness Plan for the three municipalities include, among others:

• The current tourism supply is highly concentrated in coastal areas, while less attention is paid to tourism potential in the interior. There is a need to reposition the areas and develop potential tourism resources (such as local flora and fauna, culture, gastronomy, among others) and include them in the products offered.
• The development of a new communications strategy is also suggested, along with the identification of new channels to effectively market new products and to differentiate the destinations. Specific recommendations will be outlined in the final plan.
• Tourism in the areas studied is subject to seasonality. Several thematic routes were proposed in order to achieve a more even seasonal spread of tourism in the region and also to diversify summer products.

The Project “Uruguay 2010: Rutas del este de Uruguay” (Routes in the East of Uruguay) follows a request for technical assistance from the Maldonado city council to UNWTO. The request was endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism and the project carried out through the UNWTO.Themis Foundation.

The final product will be delivered within three months after completion of the Volunteers Programme. During this period, the volunteers, experts and UNWTO coordinators will continue developing the proposals. The final Tourism Strategic and Competitiveness Plan will include:

• An analysis of the current situation of tourism in the east of Uruguay, including the valuation of tourism resources, services and products, as well as proposals for future strategic approaches.
• A strategic proposal, including the programmes and actions recommended for their implementation in the area studied.
• A conceptualization of key products and services needed for the strategic positioning proposed in each of the clusters identified in the study.

The UNWTO.TedQual Volunteers Programme aims to evaluate a country or destinations’ tourism potential and to propose alternatives for strategic positioning, based on the concept of sustainable development of tourism as a viable alternative for socioeconomic development and heritage and cultural preservation. A key feature of the Programme is that it leverages knowledge brought by volunteers —university students and young professionals from different disciplines, trained by the UNWTO to carry out projects in development through tourism— who are directed by experts and senior UNWTO officials, in order to undertake tourism projects in developing countries

The UNWTO.TedQual Volunteers programme is carried out in developing countries, and includes 2-4 weeks of fieldwork in the host country. To date, projects have been implemented in countries that include Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Mozambique and Argentina.