Tourexpi
The Seminar “Enhancing Tourism Development through
Innovation in Community-Based Tourism” was held within the framework of the
69th meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Americas. The
meeting served as a prelude to the institutional event and brought together
leading players in the sector to address challenges, strategies and good
practices in this tourism segment. The aim of the Seminar was to promote the
development of community-based tourism through the empowerment of and
investment in local populations, as well as the promotion of innovation in
their products.
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN
Tourism, said: "Community-based tourism in the region of the Americas
shows great diversity and opportunities for the sustainable development and
economic inclusion of local communities. It is necessary to continue exploring
models that promote the autonomy and participation of communities in the
tourism management of their territories. Creativity, collaboration and
commitment to local traditions are fundamental pillars in this journey towards
more inclusive and responsible tourism.”
After the opening, Natalia Bayona, Executive
Director of UN Tourism, highlighted: "Community-based tourism is a great
opportunity for social innovation and allows us to be creative with the tourism
product itself. In 2022, the global market for this type of tourism amounted to
USD 575.9 million. Latin America and the Caribbean, with their natural
resources and great nature areas where local communities flourish, announced 80
greenfield projects between 2018-2023 representing USD 3.89 billion."
The challenges of tourism and the role of
communities
The topic of “Challenges, Strategies and Good
Practices for Sustainable Tourism Development through Empowerment and
Investment in Community Tourism”, was discussed by a panel including the
Cuban Minister Juan Carlos García Granda and the Vice-Ministers of Tourism of
Panama, Magda Durán; of Peru, Madeleine Burns, and of Colombia, Arturo Bravo.
Gustavo Santos, Regional Director for the Americas of UN Tourism acted as the
moderator of the discussion, as the participants outlined the current
situation, shared experiences and expressed their proposals for the future of
the sector.
A second panel consisted of a discussion involving
both the private sector and representatives of the academic field. On this
occasion, with the title “Promoting Social Innovation in Tourism through Impact
Investments in Community Tourism, Human Capital and Business and Territorial
Strategies”, the debate focused on investments.
A place for entrepreneurs and communities
Two startups belonging to the UN Tourism ecosystem
participated in the last of the seminar's debates. On the one hand, the company
Quantum Temple, dedicated to the application of new technologies to conserve
the cultural and natural resources of communities in Indonesia, and on the
other, SmArt for Sustainability, from Panama, which incorporates cutting-edge
technology and integration practices to move towards sustainability.
In addition to these meetings, local communities
also had their space to publicize their work and showcase success stories,
including the Women's Association 'Weaving Dreams and Flavours' of Mampuján,
Colombia, which has been an example of transformation for more than two
decades. This group of women, including victims of sexual violence and
displaced persons, has been able to weave suffering and transform it into a
hymn to peace and a historical testimony.
The conference reflected UN Tourism's efforts to
promote the evolution of community-based tourism, among others, through its
innovation network that includes a wide variety of startups and projects that
promote this segment, as well as innovation challenges, which strengthen
tourism initiatives in local communities, while helping to develop new
strategies and give visibility to these projects at a global level.
Image
Credit: © UN Tourism
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