Public and Private Sectors Unite in Support of Tourism Sustainability

The new Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the Americas (SDAA) launched in Barbados on March 27, marks the first-ever large-scale multi-sector initiative for sustainable tourism destinations in the region. By improving the day-to-day management of tourism destinations in the Caribbean and Central American regions, the initiative will help safeguard natural and cultural assets, while enhancing the life of communities and securing a vibrant regional economy.  

The new alliance includes the OAS-SEDI, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Central American Secretariat for Integration, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the United States Government through its permanent mission to the OAS and the global non-governmental organization Sustainable Travel International as implementing partner.

“The launch of this alliance highlights some salient imperatives for the tourism sector not only here in the Caribbean but for other sub-regions of the Americas. Importantly, these imperatives include the need for a multi-stakeholder, multi-sector partne and shared ownership of perhaps our most valuable asset – that of the natural environment” declared OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Sherry Tross at the launch.

Secretary Tross further noted that for the Organization, the Alliance is an opportunity to respond to member state demands, who in the past 3 Inter-American Congresses of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Tourism (Honduras, 2013; Ecuador 2012 and El Salvador 2011) have indicated that “sustainable tourism is at the top of many individual agendas”. The importance of sustainable tourism initiatives such as the SDAA lays in the dependency of many of the region’s destinations on tourism for growth and job creation, while recognizing the pressures that the industry places on natural resources, which increases vulnerabilities to climate change and unsustainable development.

The SDAA will initially offer support to seven destinations in the Caribbean and Central America in their sustainability efforts, and will eventually be expanded to encompass more than 30 tourism destinations in the Americas. Each participating destination will undergo a comprehensive evaluation of its performance against globally-recognized criteria and indicators for sustainable destination management. Based on the evaluation’s findings, an action plan will be established to identify quick-win projects that address the destination’s priority areas. Subsequently, the effective implementation of the projects will be facilitated through capacity-building, monitoring and evaluation tools, and integrated marketing. 

Hugh Riley, Secretary General and CEO of the CTO highlighted that the initiative “will allow for more comprehensive measurement, monitoring and management of tourism sustainability”.  He stressed that by enhancing the existing capacity of tourism stakeholders, the SDAA multi-sector partnership will “assist in positioning our destinations as part of a region where tourism strives to optimally utilize its resources, and provides a unique visitor experience, as well as an improved quality-of-life for our citizens.”

The United States Ambassador in Barbados, Larry L. Palmer, noted, “We are proud to facilitate the strengthening of the tourism industry in the Caribbean and Central America to ensure that our region meets the highest sustainable tourism standards.”

Representing the private sector, Rich Pruitt, Vice President, Safety and Environmental Stewardship for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. recognized that “it’s critical that companies look at ways they can have a positive impact in the places where they do business” adding that “we want to see the uniquely beautiful destinations of the Caribbean and Latin American region thrive, and are committed to collaborating with the organizations that can work to move these destinations toward greater sustainability.”

Seleni  Matus, Vice President of Latin America and the Caribbean at Sustainable Travel International said that as implementing partner, “we are thrilled to expand the work we have done in pilot destinations through the SDAA initiative”. “We believe that destination stewardship is a shared responsibility, and are delighted to bring together these organizations across sectors in a way that will maximize regional impact.”

The SDAA initiative, which will become a critical component of the OAS-SEDI Sustainable Tourism Program over the next two years, underscores the close inter-agency cooperation among the OAS and its regional partners, the strong involvement of key stakeholders, and collaboration with the private sector.

An open call for interested destinations is in place until May 31, 2014. Applicants may include national, regional or local tourism authorities, such as Ministries of Tourism, Tourism Boards, Destination Management Organizations, and local and regional public authorities from OAS member states in the Caribbean and Central America. For additional information and application details click here.