The year 2027 will not be just another symbolic date on the international calendar. Declared the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism by the United Nations General Assembly, it places the sector under the global spotlight. To prepare for this milestone, UN Tourism has released a roadmap designed to turn the declaration into an action plan.
Behind the institutional language, the message is clear: destinations will no longer be able to rely on statements of commitment alone. They will need to demonstrate their ability to integrate sustainability and resilience into strategic decisions, investments, and governance.
Priorities beyond rhetoric
The roadmap emphasizes three main pillars: climate action, social inclusion, and responsible management of natural resources. It reminds stakeholders that sustainability is not a label, but a continuous process requiring cooperation among governments, businesses, and local communities.
Another central element is aligning tourism with broader public policies — poverty reduction, biodiversity conservation, and quality employment. In other words, the sector is encouraged to move beyond an isolated logic and become part of a wider development strategy.
For Latin American countries, these orientations are far from theoretical. The region includes both high-traffic international destinations and territories still in the process of structuring their tourism offer. The roadmap provides a framework to strengthen local value chains, diversify products, and improve adaptive capacity in the face of climate or economic risks.
A strategic Latin American presence
Implementation of the plan will be monitored by the Tourism and Sustainability Committee (CTS), currently chaired by Costa Rica, a nation often cited as a benchmark for environmental commitment. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic will host the 27th UN Tourism General Assembly in 2027, increasing the region’s visibility in global debates.
This presence is significant: it places Latin America at the center of discussions on the standards and tools that will shape the next phase of international tourism.
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2027 as a credibility test
Beyond announcements, the roadmap opens a phase of practical preparation: access to technical cooperation networks, knowledge exchange, and destination support. UN Tourism will oversee progress, aiming to transform commitments into measurable results.
But 2027 will also be a test. International years come and go, as do declarations. What will make the difference is destinations’ capacity to demonstrate tangible progress: improved resource management, community integration, and resilience in the face of crises.
For Latin American stakeholders, the challenge is twofold. On one hand, they must respond to growing international market expectations regarding sustainability. On the other, they can use this milestone as leverage to structure tourism policies and strengthen positioning.
The International Year of 2027 will not transform the sector on its own. However, it sets a shared horizon and creates an evaluation framework. For destinations that prepare effectively, it can become an accelerator rather than a constraint.
Photo: UN Tourism
