UNWTO further strengthened its cooperation with the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean as it brought together public and private sector leaders to advance investments in the tourism sector.
Against the backdrop of the meeting of its 68th Regional Commission for the Americas in Quito, Ecuador, UNWTO hosted the Seminar on Sustainable Investments to explore the main challenges and opportunities around this topic in the region.
Tourism Investments: A defining priority
The latest data from UNWTO shows that tourism in the Americas is steadily recovering, with international arrivals reaching 86% of 2019 levels by the end of the first quarter of this year. Moreover, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the tourism sector, which had experienced a decline, is now showing signs of revitalization:
To realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Americas, attracting investments that actively support their achievement is of utmost importance. It is crucial to establish a robust multilateral regulatory framework that fosters sustainable investments, further propelling the region's progress towards the SDGs.
Quito Seminar Provides High-Level Platform
The Seminar on Sustainable Investments: A Strategy towards Competitiveness invited tourism ministers, traditional and non-traditional investors, multilateral funds, regional economic communities, tourism technology start-ups and the media to share good practices and knowledge. Highlighting the level of high-level political support for UNWTO’s work in this area, the Seminar counted on the presence of Ministers of Tourism of Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Puerto Rico and Vice Minister of the Dominican Republic. The focus was on:
Contributing to the discussions were high-level representatives the Development Bank of Latin American and the Caribbean (CAF), fDi Intelligence of the Financial Times, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank and, representing investors and the private sector, Hotel Jama Campay, WAYRA (Telefónica), IMPAQTO, UnTours, Maraey, Metropolitan Touring, GHL Hoteles and the Confederación Panamericana de Escuelas de Hotelería, Gastronomía y Turismo, amongst others, sharing sustainable investment models in innovative infrastructure.
UNWTO and CAF
In January 2023, UNWTO and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) announced a new partnership to promote and retain investment in tourism across the Latin American and Caribbean region. In Quito:
Tourism leaders from across the Americas committed to a more ethical, inclusive tourism as the sector bounces back to drive economic recovery across the region. The 68th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas brought together high-level delegations from 20 countries.
The meeting saw participants work together around shared priorities, with a focus on jobs and education, boosting investment in the sector and advancing sustainability and climate action efforts.
The Americas: Strong demand drives tourism recovery
According to UNWTO data, tourism in the Americas has experienced rapid recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.
Our Regional Commission meeting has made clear a shared commitment to make the most of this recovery by building a stronger, more resilient and more sustainable sector that delivers real benefits for many millions of people right across the region
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For the Americas, tourism’s recovery has been rapid and remarkable. Our Regional Commission meeting has made clear a shared commitment to make the most of this recovery by building a stronger, more resilient and more sustainable sector that delivers real benefits for many millions of people right across the region.”
High-Level Support as Regional Commission Meets
On the eve of the Regional Commission meeting, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with the President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, reflecting his Government’s strong support for tourism as a key pillar of sustainable economic development, both in the country and across the region. Also participating in the Commission meeting were Ministers and Vice-Ministers of Tourism from 15 countries. Key achievements of the Commission Meeting included:
Looking Ahead
In line with UNWTO’s statutory obligations, Members from the Americas agreed:
UNWTO has announced Tlaxcala’s Sustainable Tourism Observatory as the latest member of its International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).
UNWTO has identified evidence-based decision making and the participation of local stakeholders as key for the successful development of sustainable tourism at the destination level. The Tlaxcala Secretary of Tourism and its Sustainable Tourism Observatory have shown their commitment to both of these areas, paving the way for them to become part of the expanding global Network.
The INSTO network is an opportunity to work together to ensure that tourism is a tool that contributes to sustainable development
Within the INSTO framework, the Observatory will shift from focusing largely on the economic impact of tourism to also measuring tourism's social and environment impacts. This will help Tlaxcala to manage tourism development in a responsible and sustainable manner, taking a holistic view in developing adequate and innovative strategies for "rethinking" tourism.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "As we rethink tourism and guide the sector towards greater resilience, inclusivity and sustainability, measurement has never been more important. It provides a better understanding of where a destination stands and where it wants to go. The INSTO network is an opportunity to work together to ensure that tourism is a tool that contributes to sustainable development. We are very pleased to welcome Tlaxcala as a new member."
Tlaxcala's Tourism Observatory will now monitor the 11 mandatory INSTO key areas, namely: tourism seasonality, employment, economic benefits, energy management, water management, wastewater management, solid waste management, climate action, accessibility, local satisfaction and governance.
The State of Tlaxcala is located in the central part of Mexico and is the smallest federal entity in terms of geographical size. Rich in culture and history, with important archaeological sites as well as natural resources, Tlaxcala welcomed 570,000 tourists in 2019, accounting for 8.5% of the State GDP and 5.5% of the State's employment. In accordance with the Tlaxcala State Tourism Law of 2022, a Tourist Consultative Council was established, composed of private, public and civil sector actors, to provide multi-disciplinary advice to the Ministry of Tourism of Tlaxcala on sustainable tourism development.
This participatory approach is also reflected in the mission statement of the Tourism Observator, "to be an effective instrument for the sustainable tourism development of Tlaxcala through the participation of all the agents linked to tourist activity and the authorities related to it, through having reliable, timely and relevant information that supports decision-making and monitoring of the results of public policies to promote tourism."
Tlaxcala´s Secretary of Tourism, Ms. Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, noted: "Becoming a member of INSTO allows as us to frame our tourism sustainability efforts according to the 11 key monitoring areas that are mandatory for INSTO members. We are honored to become the third Observatory in Mexico to be part of this network."
The UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) was created in 2004 with the main objectives to support the continuous improvement of sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector through systematic, timely and regular monitoring of tourism performance and to connect dedicated destinations, helping them to exchange and improve knowledge and understanding about destination-wide resource use and the responsible management of tourism.