What SENATUR does

SENATUR (Secretaría Nacional de Turismo de Paraguay) is the national tourism authority of Paraguay, created by Law 1388/98 and operating under the Presidency of the Republic. The agency's functional mandate spans three integrated roles: (1) tourism regulation and formalization through the National Tourism Registry (REGISTUR) and a regime of resolutions covering accommodation, tour guides, adventure tourism, and service-provider habilitation; (2) destination and product development through a portfolio of national programs including Posadas Turísticas (327 community-based lodgings across 14 departments, 90% women-led), Gastronomic Tourism, Youth Tourism, Rural Community Tourism, River Tourism, Tourist Neighborhoods, and the Patrimonitos heritage-education program; and (3) promotion and facilitation via a network of 15+ branded tourist information offices ('Turista Roga'), international fair participation (FITUR, WTM, ITB), and the VisitParaguay digital portal.

The underlying technology stack is operational rather than transformative: REGISTUR serves as the registration backbone, the Observatorio Nacional de Turismo (established 2015) produces tourism statistics, and the MECIP-2015 framework governs internal controls. No proprietary AI/ML systems are in evidence. The agency's revenue model is hybrid and uncharacteristic of a commercial firm — it is funded primarily through annual allocations from Paraguay's national treasury, supplemented by transaction-based registration/habilitation/revalidation fees from tourism service providers set under Resolution 170/2024 (updated by Resolution 812/24). End-user tourists receive information services at no charge.

SENATUR's stakeholder ecosystem is unusually broad for a single agency: multilateral partners include UNWTO, UNESCO, UNDP, JICA, and Itaipú Binacional; bilateral ties extend to Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Portugal, Taiwan, and Spain; and domestic collaborators span the Policía Nacional, Migraciones, MTESS, APYGA, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, AHK, and Pacto Global Paraguay. The current executive leadership is Ministro Secretario Ejecutivo Jacinto Santa María. Operational programs have documented measurable outcomes — 2,300+ gastronomy trainees, 4,112+ youth program participants, and 156 new registered tour guides — though these are program outputs, not commercial revenues.

Name

SENATUR

Legal name

Secretaría Nacional de Turismo de Paraguay

Website

https://senatur.gov.py

Company type

Public

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SENATUR is Paraguay's national tourism authority, regulating and promoting tourism through the REGISTUR registry, 15+ tourist information offices, and programs including Posadas Turísticas, Gastronomic Tourism, Youth Tourism, and Rural Community Tourism. It serves domestic and international tourists, tourism service providers, and municipal governments across all 17 departments of Paraguay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Tourism Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Community-Based & Indigenous Tourism Enablement (Local Ownership, Benefit-Sharing) (THAAANAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tourism Trade & Services Exports Development (BPADAMAO)

Keywords

• National tourism authority
• Government tourism promotion
• Tourism registry services
• Community-based tourism
• Tourism regulation and policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Asunción

HQ country

Paraguay

HQ region

Latin America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism Service Registration Fees: SENATUR charges fees for inscription, habilitation, and revalidation of tourism service providers through Resolution 170/2024, establishing fee schedules for registering with the National Tourism Registry.
2. Government Budget Allocation: As a government agency, SENATUR operates primarily through annual government budget allocations from Paraguay's national treasury.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SENATUR is Paraguay's national tourism authority, responsible for regulating, promoting, and developing sustainable tourism across the country. It administers the National Tourism Registry (REGISTUR) for inscription and habilitation of tourism service providers, runs national programs (Posadas Turísticas, Gastronomic Tourism, Youth Tourism, Rural Community Tourism, River Tourism, Women's Empowerment, Tourist Neighborhoods, Patrimonitos), and operates a network of tourism information offices and the National Tourism Observatory. Services to tourism providers are subject to registration fees established by Resolution 170/2024 and updated by Resolution 812/24.

Product overview

SENATUR (Secretaría Nacional de Turismo de Paraguay) operates as Paraguay's national tourism authority, offering a portfolio of programs and services. The core offerings include: tourism promotion programs (Gastronomic Tourism, Posadas Turísticas, Youth Tourism, Women's Empowerment, Rural Community Tourism, River Tourism), destination development initiatives (Tourist Neighborhoods, Patrimonitos heritage program), and operational services (National Tourism Registry REGISTUR, Tourism Observatory, Tourist Facilitation, Tourist Information Centers, Tourism Training). The products function as interconnected programs under the national tourism strategy, with programs like Posadas Turísticas providing accommodation infrastructure while Gastronomic Tourism and Youth Tourism create complementary visitor experiences. The REGISTUR system serves as the operational backbone for registering and monitoring all tourism service providers, while the Tourism Observatory provides data-driven decision support across all programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Observatorio Nacional de Turismo: Technical dependency created on December 30, 2015 by Resol. N° 1273/2015, responsible for monitoring, generating, and disseminating tourism statistics and research for national tourism competitiveness.
• Programa Nacional de Turismo Gastronómico del Paraguay
• Programa Nacional Posadas Turísticas del Paraguay
• Programa Nacional de Turismo Joven
• Programa de Empoderamiento de la Mujer
• Programa de Turismo Rural Comunitario
• Programa Barrios Turísticos
• Programa de Turismo Fluvial
• Programa Patrimonitos
• REGISTUR
• Turista Roga

Products and services

• Programa Nacional de Turismo Gastronómico del Paraguay National program to promote and develop Paraguayan gastronomic offerings as a tourism attraction, focusing on recovering traditional recipes with local ingredients and developing gastronomic tourism circuits. Designed for restaurants, hotels, culinary entrepreneurs, and gastronomic schools.
• Programa Nacional Posadas Turísticas del Paraguay National program providing standardized basic accommodation services in rural and urban areas with high tourism value, run by local communities preserving customs and traditions. Serves 327 active posadas across 14 departments, 90% women-led.
• Programa Nacional de Turismo Joven National program to empower youth in tourism-oriented communities through practical tools for generating business opportunities leveraging cultural, historical, and natural potential. Reached 4,112 youth across 15 departments (2018-2023) and trained 156 new tour guides.
• Programa de Empoderamiento de la Mujer a través del Turismo Program promoting women's economic empowerment through tourism, providing opportunities via Posadas Turísticas, Gastronomic Tourism, and Youth Tourism programs. Achieved 70% female participation in Tourism Youth and 90% women-led Posadas establishments.
• Programa de Turismo Rural Comunitario Program supporting rural tourism operators with technical assistance for incorporating properties into tourism, covering rural living traditions, natural environments, and local gastronomy.
• Programa Barrios Turísticos Program providing technical guidance for communities to develop sustainable tourism projects with social innovation and transformative community action.
• Programa de Turismo Fluvial Program for developing sustainable river tourism in the Triple Frontier area, presenting investment plans under the 'Alto Paraná, los Senderos del Agua' slogan.
• Programa Patrimonitos Program to raise awareness among school children and their families about UNESCO World Heritage sites, training them as heritage guardians for conservation.
• Registro Nacional de Turismo (REGISTUR) National database and registration service for tourism service companies, handling inscription, habilitation, and revalidation of providers. Established by Resol. N° 332/10 and updated through multiple subsequent resolutions.
• Observatorio Nacional de Turismo Technical dependency generating tourism statistics, research, and knowledge to support tourism management and competitiveness decisions. Created by Resol. N° 1273/2015.
• Facilitación Turística Service coordinating with police, migration authorities, consulates, and airports to improve tourism accessibility and security at border crossings.
• Informaciones Turísticas (Turista Roga) Tourist information centers across Paraguay providing personalized guidance on attractions, activities, events, and travel information to national and foreign tourists through a network of 15+ offices.
• Capacitaciones Turísticas Tourism training programs for government and private sectors covering basic tourism formation, customer service, destination development, and sustainable tourism.
• Manual de Diseño de Experiencias Turísticas Technical instrument to guide municipalities, tourism managers, and service providers in designing tourism experiences at destinations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,300+ people trained in gastronomy across 8 departments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Itaipú BinacionalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Major hydroelectric dam operator supporting river tourism development through the 'Plan de Inversión para el Turismo Fluvial Sostenible' in Alto Paraná. Also supports the 'Energía que mueve el Turismo' inter-neighborhood competition in Hernandarias.
• Asociación Paraguaya de Turismo Rural (APATUR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Rural tourism association created in October 1997 with support from SENATUR and the Asociación Rural del Paraguay (ARP) to promote estancia tourism and rural experiences.
• Organización Mundial del Turismo (OMT/UNWTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENATUR collaborates with the UN World Tourism Organization as Paraguay's official representative, aligning with UNWTO priorities including promoting responsible, sustainable tourism for all, integrating tourism into global agendas, improving competitiveness, and supporting poverty reduction through tourism.
• Viceministerio de Turismo de ColombiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical cooperation from Colombia's tourism ministry that provided the model for Paraguay's Posadas Turísticas program. Colombian officials trained SENATUR staff through Colombia's Posadas Turísticas program, which served as the foundation for the successful pilot project.
• Academia Paraguaya de Gastronomía (APYGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for gastronomic tourism development, collaborating on training programs for tourism service providers, including fish-based gastronomy in fishing localities and bakery/confectionery workshops.
• Academia Iberoamericana de GastronomíamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational gastronomy academy based in Spain that recognized Asunción as 'Capital Iberoamericana de la Cultura Gastronómica de las Misiones 2023'.
• Escuela Gastronómica O'HaracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school providing gastronomic training in Jesuit-Guaraní cuisine for tourism operators, posada owners, and restaurant staff along the Jesuit Route.
• Facultad Politécnica - Universidad Nacional de AsuncióncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing gastronomic training and technical support for the National Gastronomic Tourism Program, including fish-based cuisine workshops.
• Pacto Global ParaguaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Global Compact local network that recognized the National Youth Tourism Program for its initiatives aligned with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• PNUD (UNDP Paraguay)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Development Programme supporting the 'Ruta del Gua'a' ecotourism project in the Northern Cerrado with conservation and social inclusion focus.
• JICA ParaguaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapan International Cooperation Agency supporting the 'Integral Development in Paraguay: Towards Agrotourism Development' project in La Colmena, Paraguarí.
• Gobierno de PortugalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cooperation partnership for gastronomic tourism development.
• Gobierno de ArgentinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral cooperation in gastronomic tourism and border tourism facilitation.
• Gobierno de PerúminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWebinar collaboration on gastronomic tourism best practices.
• Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social (MTESS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint training program on sustainable administration for extra-hotel accommodation establishments with support from the Republic of China (Taiwan) embassy.
• Cámara de Comercio e Industria Paraguayo-Alemana (AHK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Emprendedoras PY 2.0 Posadas Turísticas' training program for women tourism entrepreneurs, along with Codeleste.
• Policía Nacional del ParaguaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with Tourism Police (Tourist Security Department) for visitor safety, with regional offices in major tourism cities including Asunción, Ciudad del Este, Encarnación, and others.
• Dirección Nacional de MigracionescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBorder facilitation coordination for WRC Rally del Paraguay, including integrated migratory control to expedite visitor entry and ensure safe transit.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for the Jesuit Missions World Heritage management plan, including the Patrimonitos children's heritage education program, implemented with UNESCO Montevideo and Paris offices.
• Oficina de la Primera DamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in the 'Turismo Joven y Creativo' campaign awarding the best youth tourism business ideas nationally.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ministerio de Turismo de Uruguay: Uruguay's national tourism ministry — equivalent in mandate as a state tourism authority managing promotion, regulation and product development for a South American country. Direct regional peer of similar institutional scale.
• ProColombia: Colombia's trade and tourism promotion agency; its Posadas Turísticas program is explicitly cited as the model SENATUR adapted for its community-based tourism program, making ProColombia a particularly close functional peer. Direct regional peer with shared program DNA.
• EMBRATUR (Agência Brasileira de Promoção Internacional do Turismo): Brazil's national tourism promotion agency, the largest and most resourced counterpart in the region. Compares to SENATUR in core mandate (international promotion, market intelligence, tourism statistics) and serves as the dominant regional player that SENATUR competes against for share of inbound tourism to South America.
• Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística (INPROTUR): Argentina's national tourism promotion agency, equivalent in mandate to SENATUR — both are state bodies promoting a South American country's tourism internationally, operating information offices, participating in global fairs (FITUR/WTM) and coordinating destination marketing campaigns. Directly comparable regional counterpart.
• Subsecretaría de Turismo de Chile: Chile's national tourism authority — equivalent government mandate of national tourism regulation, promotion and statistics, with comparable programs around sustainable and adventure tourism. Direct regional peer with a more mature international brand.
• PromPerú: Peru's national tourism and export promotion agency with a comparable mandate to SENATUR — destination promotion, gastronomy tourism development (Peru is a recognized gastronomy leader, parallel to SENATUR's gastronomy program), and participation in international fairs. Direct regional peer.
• Viceministerio de Turismo de Bolivia: Bolivia's national tourism vice-ministry — analogous government body for tourism promotion and regulation in a neighboring South American country with shared community-based and heritage tourism challenges. Direct regional peer of comparable resource base.

Broad incumbents

• Atout France: France's national tourism development agency with equivalent mandate of international promotion, quality classification (similar to SENATUR's hotel categorization Resol. 625/22), and tourism statistics observatory — comparable in functional scope but at vastly greater scale and resourcing. Broad incumbent global peer.
• Consejo de Promoción Turística de México (CPTM): Mexico's national tourism promotion council — comparable mandate of international destination promotion and "Pueblos Mágicos" community-based tourism program that parallels SENATUR's Posadas Turísticas, though at much larger scale and budget. Broader incumbent peer in Latin America.

Others

• UNWTO (World Tourism Organization): United Nations agency of which SENATUR's parent government is a member; UNWTO is the global standards-setter and partner that SENATUR collaborates with for technical guidance, international training (21 youth trained via UNWTO programs) and alignment on responsible tourism. Ecosystem enabler rather than competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/senatur-gov-py

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SENATUR