The Rewilding Argentina Foundation recently celebrated the results of the project in El Impenetrable, which they started years ago and is now bearing fruit.
This is a project carried out in the territory between 2020 and 2023. Tourist destinations were created with local providers and products with cultural and regenerative values were developed.
“It is possible to transform the economy of a region by creating a tourist destination from scratch, actively involving isolated rural communities,” they expressed.
Project in El Impenetrable: the key points
“Thanks to investments in infrastructure and a solid training program aimed at developing the skills of local residents,” the project boosted nature tourism.
According to the foundation, they received over 1700 visitors per year.
The report “Promoting a new restorative economy in El Impenetrable,” prepared by Rewilding, also generated economic opportunities for more than 180 entrepreneurial families.
“Their monthly incomes already significantly exceed state social benefits, even in the early stages of implementation,” they highlighted.
This case demonstrates that environmental conservation and economic development can go hand in hand. “Benefiting both local communities and ecosystems, and serving as an inspiring model for other regions.”
“Entrepreneurs by Nature” Program
To promote the development of a Regenerative Economy, the Rewilding Argentina Foundation implements the “Entrepreneurs by Nature” program, whose main objective is to train local entrepreneurs in creating products and services linked to nature tourism.
“This Restorative Economy is based on the creation of tourist destinations managed by local providers and the development of products with cultural and regenerative values,” they explained.
While in 2022 the total income generated by entrepreneurs was $278 million constant December 2024, in 2023 it exceeded $383 million.
In terms of free dollars, community revenues increased from $121,000 in 2022 to $160,200 free dollars in 2023.
How was the tourist offer developed for the project in El Impenetrable
“Nature tourism offers a unique opportunity to generate significant income in local communities,” they commented regarding this promotion.
“Mainly through services such as accommodation, gastronomy, excursions, wildlife watching, and transfers. To take advantage of this potential, it is essential to invest in suitable infrastructure to support a solid, sustainable, and quality tourism offer,” they emphasized.
In this line, investments were made:
• Trails and walkways for safe and accessible walks.
• Signage to facilitate visitor orientation.
• Information and visitor centers, which serve as reference and learning points.
• Community squares, acting as training spaces and places where residents can offer services and products to tourists.
In the first four years of the project in El Impenetrable, thanks to the efforts of the Rewilding Argentina Foundation and the Province’s Tourism Institute, the following were carried out:
• 25 kilometers of trails within the Park
• 800 meters of walkways
• Establishment of visitor parking lots: 40
• Two community squares in La ArmonÃa and Nueva Población.
• Construction of the Nature Tourism Workshop School, with hotel, cafeteria, and store in La ArmonÃa, the entrance to the PNEI.
• Installation of six strategic viewpoints for wildlife and landscape watching.
Accommodation spaces in the park were also added.
Gastronomy
“Parallel to the development of the tourist infrastructure, investments were made to strengthen local gastronomic ventures, taking advantage of neighbors’ homes as key spaces to offer products and authentic and unique culinary experiences,” the report indicates.
“This approach not only promotes the local economy but also enhances the cultural identity of the region through gastronomy,” they explain.
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