The 68th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas was held in Quito, Ecuador on 27 June, bringing together delegations from tourism ministries in 20 countries in the region. Leaders from the tourism sector in the Americas pledged to promote more ethical and inclusive tourism, with the aim of stimulating economic recovery throughout the region.
Participants worked together on common priorities, including employment and education, encouraging investment in the sector and advancing sustainability and climate action efforts. According to UNWTO data, tourism in the Americas has recovered rapidly from the impact of the pandemic. International arrivals to destinations in the Americas reached nearly 85% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
Several countries in the region, including Saint Martin (+51%), El Salvador (+26%), Colombia (+18%), Guatemala (+14%) and the Dominican Republic (+11%), have already exceeded pre-pandemic levels in terms of international arrivals. Strong demand from the US outbound market has been a key factor in driving this recovery.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For the Americas, the recovery in tourism has been rapid and remarkable. Our Regional Commission meeting clearly demonstrated a shared commitment to making the most of this recovery by building a stronger, more resilient and sustainable sector that brings real benefits to many millions of people across the region”.
Among the major achievements of the meeting was the accession of several countries, including Chile, Costa Rica, Haiti and Honduras, to the UNWTO’s International Code of Tourist Protection. In addition, the UNWTO announced plans to establish the first Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Finally, members from the Americas agreed that Argentina and Paraguay will be vice-presidents of the UNWTO General Assembly, to be held in October, and that the Dominican Republic will be president of the Regional Commission for the Americas for the period 2023-2025. The 69th meeting of the Regional Commission will be held in Cuba in 2024, and Peru will host the 70th meeting in 2025.
