Puerto Iguazú (Argentina), birthplace of the Iguazú Falls – one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in the world, and President Franco (Paraguay) promote an agreement to facilitate excursions and the circulation of tourist vehicles between both cities. The agreement also contemplates the use of the Iguazú Raft.
In a region where tourism is one of the main economic engines, Puerto Iguazú (Argentina) and Puerto Presidente Franco (Paraguay) advance in a cooperation agreement that seeks to facilitate excursions and the circulation of tourist vehicles enabled between both municipalities, with the aim of strengthening integration and expanding the offer for visitors.
The meeting held today at the Municipality of Presidente Franco was attended by the mayor of Puerto Iguazú- Claudio Filippa, the mayor of Puerto Presidente Franco- Roque Godoy, together with representatives of the Tourism areas: the president of Iturem- Leopoldo Lucas and Julio González, Legal Dr. Harry Foos and Lic. Lucio Vera and Transit of both municipalities, who analyzed the scope and mechanisms to advance in the implementation of the agreement.
In this regard, the president of Iturem stressed that “this agreement is a very important step to deepen the tourist integration between Iguazú and President Franco. The border should not be a barrier, but an opportunity to generate more circuits, more visitors, more nights at the destination and with it, more work for our people.”
The initiative seeks to order and simplify the operation of tourist taxis, remises, travel agencies and authorized operators that carry out activities related to receptive tourism, allowing the realization of visits and circuits between both cities, always under the regulations in force of each country.
The agreement is based on a consolidated reality, the trust and union between Puerto Iguazú and President Franco that make up a strategic tourist region, characterized by geographical proximity, border integration and permanent exchange between their communities. Both cities are considered complementary destinations within the trinational region.
The agreement
The proposal includes excursions, visits to attractions and previously established tourist circuits, promoting complementary products and greater cooperation between travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, operators and transport companies.
The agreement also provides for mechanisms for coordination and exchange of information between the municipal areas of Tourism, Transit, Transport and other competent bodies, including qualified providers, authorized vehicles, documentary requirements and control procedures.
The agreement establishes precise limits: authorized vehicles may not carry out local, urban or interurban public transport in the neighboring municipality or attract passengers for exclusively local services.
Likewise, they must comply with the authorizations, licenses, insurance and documentation required by current legislation. International movement will continue to be subject to the competent national authorities in migration, customs, transit and transport matters.
The agreement seeks to order and simplify the operation of taxis, remises, travel agencies and qualified operators that develop activities related to receptive tourism, allowing the realization of visits, excursions and circuits between Puerto Iguazú and Puerto Presidente Franco, always within the framework of the current regulations of each country.
The initiative represents an important step to deepen the integration of both destinations and facilitate a broader tourist experience for those who visit the region. The possibility of making binational circuits also allows the visitor to know and enjoy different attractions of the Triple Border during the same stay seeking to increase the average stay.
The agreement also contemplates the use of the Iguazú Ferry, which is part of the Association of Tourist Attractions and constitutes an alternative connection between both countries. Beyond its function as a means of approach transport, the raft also represents a tourist experience in itself, since it allows you to enjoy the river and the landscape of the region.
Therefore, the tourism sector seeks to encourage its use, both to speed up the international passage and to add a new experience to the journey of those who visit Puerto Iguazú and Puerto Presidente Franco.
Within the framework of this cooperation agreement, the authorities of Balsa Iguazú also announced a 10% discount for tourist activity, both for the passage of vehicles and for passengers who use this service, a benefit that will begin to govern from the signing of the agreement. This measure is a concrete tool to facilitate the mobility of tourists and operators, while generating better conditions for the development of circuits on the three borders.
In a region where visitors move between countries to discover new attractions, cooperation between municipalities can become a concrete tool to expand the circuits, strengthen providers and enhance the tourist development of the entire Triple Border.