Network of Latin American Destinations is Launched During the First International Conference “Destinations of the Future” in the Dominican Republic
28 October, Dominican Republic – On 26 and 27 October 2022, the first Destinations of the Future International Conference was held in Bávaro, Dominican Republic, thanks to a strategic alliance between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and TourCert. More than 12 countries were represented and some 200 participants gathered to analyse the presentations of 20 national and international speakers, whose topics revolved around issues such as governance, climate change, financing of sustainability programmes and integration.
Within the framework of this important event, Ms. Angela Giraldo, representative of TourCert, launched the Latin American & Caribbean network ‘Destinos del Futuro’ (Destinations for Future). It is the product of a joint initiative between TourCert and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in the framework of the global project ‘The Tourism Impact Alliance’ with financial support from the Swiss Cooperation.
The network is currently made up of several tourist destinations certified by TourCert in six countries in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. Since 2016, these tourist destinations have been receiving training programmes, where skills have been transferred to promote sustainable tourism, as well as programmes for resilience, regeneration, competitiveness and management of these spaces, allowing these tourist destinations to adapt and adjust their current tourism development to the challenges of the 21st century.
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and the Dominican Republic are the countries that have committed to be part of this innovative Future Destinations Network, driving transformation processes towards the UN 2030 Agenda. This also opens up opportunities for the creation of new and satisfying experiences for an increasingly aware and responsible visitor.
Destinations for Future network is being supported by several organisations that are initially working on a joint platform that will facilitate alliances and connectivity between the Destinations of the Future. Tourism businesses in the destinations, local governments, communities and all those involved in tourism and its value chain can join this initiative, enabling horizontal and participatory processes.
