Neuquén declares tourism a "strategic activity": the post-Vaca Muerta diversification bet

Neuquén enacted a new Tourism Law that replaces the previous framework (repealing Leyes 2414 and 3197) and repositions the sector as a policy to diversify the productive matrix, today dominated by hydrocarbons. Concrete changes in the official text:(1) Art. 1 declares tourism a "strategic economic activity of provincial interest" that "contributes to diversifying and broadening the productive matrix".(2) It creates the Provincial Tourism Council (an advisory/consultative, unpaid body) and, below it, Regional Tourism Councils "for each of the regions defined in Ley 3480" — it institutionalizes regionalization: each region designs its policy with municipalities and development commissions (Arts. 7-8).(3) Art. 3 subs. m orders managing the sector "under a smart tourism-management system" for provider self-management and data for public policy (press and government call it SIGETUR; the acronym does NOT appear in the law).(4) It creates the "Neuquén Gastronomy Distinction Seal" for food-service, productive establishments and chefs (Art. 3).(5) Accessible and social tourism: Art. 17 orders compliance with Ley provincial 3059 (adhesion to Ley nacional 25.643 on accessible tourism).(6) It reinforces the enforcement authority's oversight and sanctioning powers (Arts. 24-30) and places provincially owned tourism infrastructure under its administration. The 2035 projections (2.4 M tourists; 64,267 tourism jobs; 1,592 accommodations; 38,939 beds) are management targets published by the provincial government, they are NOT in the law's articles. verif · Aug 22, 2025 ↗

In force since its promulgation by Decreto 1003/2025 (August 22, 2025) and publication in the Official Gazette. Full operation depends on the regulation by the enforcement authority (Ministry of Tourism) — prob · Aug 22, 2025 ↗

Neuquén tourism-service providers (accommodations, agencies, food service, guides, experiences and active tourism), municipalities and development commissions of each region (Ley 3480), and entrepreneurs/SMEs that want to plug into the tourism chain. For the satellite ecosystem: it opens a diversification axis different from Vaca Muerta — nature, gastronomic and adventure tourism in the mountains and lakes — with a regionalized and digitized institutional framework (self-management via a smart system) that lowers authorization friction. Seal-certified gastronomy and accessible tourism are concrete entry niches. prob · Aug 22, 2025 ↗