With various perspectives on territorial governance, Colombia + Competitiva brought together more than 20 destinations from across the country over two days to chart the course towards The 1st Latin America and Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Summit of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) at the Gathering of Destination Managers event under the theme “Sustainable Tourism in Colombia: Perspectives from Territorial Governance” held the 15th and 16th of May at the Hotel Tequendama in Bogotá.
Colombia + Competitiva is a joint initiative of the Embassy of Switzerland in Colombia – Economic Cooperation and Development (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO) and the National Government that directs its efforts towards improving competitiveness in the country and diversifying its economy. Swisscontact – Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation – is the national facilitator of the programme.
The event began with an opening by SECO. On the first day, topics such as ‘Tourism Sustainability as a Cross-Cutting Axis,’ presented by Swisscontact, and ‘Governance for Destination Sustainability,’ led by The Destination Nature Activity (DNA) of USAID, were discussed. Additionally, the Colombian Vice Ministry of Tourism, Arturo Bravo, provided a regional perspective on sustainability in the country. The day concluded with a presentation by Jorge Moller, Program Director for Latin America at GSTC, titled ‘Sustainability in the Latin American and Caribbean Region,’ followed by a networking session focused on regional sustainability for attendees.
The second day started with a series of technical and methodological instructions. Throughout the day, three thematic blocks centered on governance for socio-economic, cultural, and environmental sustainability were developed, with participation from experts such as Angela Claro, Juan Felipe Tsao, and Natalia Naranjo, GSTC Trainer. The session concluded with presentations of sustainability cases in destinations like Lobitos and Samaná, presented by TourCert, and a closing session to consolidate the event’s conclusions that will be presented at The 1stLatin America and Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Summit of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) which will be held in Santa Marta, Colombia, from May 27 to 29, 2024.
This summit, organized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in collaboration with the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, the USAID Destination Nature Program, the National Tourism Fund of Colombia (Fontur), the Mayor’s Office of Santa Marta, and Swisscontact (Embassy of Switzerland in Colombia), aims to lead and promote sustainability and regeneration in the region tourism sector towards 2030.
Colombia + Competitiva promotes green and inclusive growth through a conducive business environment and effective public sector policies in competitiveness and innovation, as well as through the development of sustainable value chains that provide employment and income opportunities.
