The Mercosur Camping and Caravanning Forum is a space for discussion and public-policy making, exchange of ideas, experiences, scientific output and practices on tourism in recreational vehicles (RVs). The event is held every two years during ExpoMotorhome.
The initiative grew out of the research project on Caravanning and Tourism Mobility led by Prof. Dr. Luiz Ernesto Brembati, of the Graduate Programme in Tourism at the Federal University of Paraná, in partnership with Prof. Pablo Walter, of the Chair of Rural Tourism at the Faculty of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires (Argentina).
During field interviews carried out in 2023 by the research team, caravanners and travellers in trailers, campervans, kombis and motorhomes raised numerous demands for more discussion on topics linked to the development of camping and caravanning: better support infrastructure on the roads, legislation for drivers and for parking these vehicles in cities, incentives for campsites along the main caravanning corridors, and financing lines for the purchase of recreational vehicles, among others.
On a visit to Argentina in May 2024, Prof. Brembati met the Ranchomóvil associations of Buenos Aires and La Plata, as well as Marcelo Pistório, promoter of ExpoRodanteAr and host of the Autocamping TV channel for Argentine caravanners. The meetings, held at the INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology) in Buenos Aires with Prof. Pablo Walter, led to the joint organisation of the Forum at Mercosur level.
In June 2024, a landmark meeting in Foz do Iguaçu during FIT Cataratas, between Prof. Brembati (UFPR), Alexandre Boff (ExpoMotorhome) and Irapuan Cortes (Viaje Paraná), sealed the partnership and set the First Forum for the 8th ExpoMotorhome, with the support of the then Paraná State Secretary of Tourism, Márcio Nunes.
The Forum brings together representatives of the public and private sectors, researchers, caravanning associations (Ranchomóvil, clubs, rodanteros, estradeiros, campers), students and others to discuss the issues of caravanning and camping and to build proposals at Mercosur level, since the territory is the caravanners' shared tourist destination.
To create a space for knowledge generation, information exchange and the collective building of public policies for the segment, safety and legislation, enabling greater tourism mobility in recreational vehicles (RVs) across Mercosur.
