Congress Highlights Sustainable, Human-Centric Tourism

At a recent tourism congress that brought together authorities, representatives and leaders of Ibero-American business organizations, multilateral bodies, researchers, and academics, the dedication to fostering a tourism sector that is more sustainable, inclusive, and humane was prominently featured.

Cancun, renowned for its innovative approach to tourism, served as the host city for the 1st Ibero-American Congress on Sustainable Tourism that gathered over 400 participants. The event marked the culmination of a joint initiative led by the Council of Ibero-American Businesspeople (CEIB) and the Ibero-American Federation of Young Entrepreneurs (FIJE), signaling a commitment that is set to endure.

In addition to government authorities, prominent figures from institutions vital to the region's tourism, including UN Tourism, CAF-Latin American Development Bank, the Ibero-American Secretariat-General (SEGIB), and the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI), participated in this open-to-the-public event. Notable executives from business organizations belonging to CEIB-OIE, Young Entrepreneurs Associations (AJES) under FIJE, and major companies from Ibero-America also graced the event.

Following a closed-door session among Ibero-America's foremost public and private sector leaders, speakers on the first day of the forum delved into critical issues shaping the future of tourism in the region. These include the imperative of local governance, the establishment of public-private partnerships to drive sustainability, the promotion of resilient destinations, strategies to mitigate undesirable impacts, and fostering talent and fair, inclusive employment practices with a more humanistic vision.

A dialog with top representatives from ProColombia was followed by the presentation of a document summarizing conclusions and recommendations from the public and private sectors of the 22 Ibero-American countries.

Public-Private Collaboration and Value Networks in Tourism

The second and final day commenced with an institutional inauguration, graced by key authorities such as Gov. of Quintana Roo Mara Lezama and Mayor of Benito Juarez Ana Patricia Peralta. Prominent representatives from various organizations, including Francisco Jarrín, president of the National Federation of Chambers of Industries of Ecuador (FNCIE)/CEIB, and myself, on behalf of FIJE, emphasized the vital role of collaboration between the business and public sectors in addressing the complex challenges facing tourism today.

This congress demonstrates our commitment not only to deliberation but also to action. By pooling our resources in agile workgroups, we are formulating global ideas to be implemented locally in each country, thereby advancing the Ibero-American agenda and strengthening collaboration across sectors and nations.

Juan Pablo de Zulueta, secretary of Tourism of Benito Juarez-Cancun, emphasized that "the outcomes of this congress will translate into tangible benefits for our citizens, promoting the development of tourism that fosters shared prosperity. Through collaboration and knowledge exchange, we will continue to move toward a future where tourism is not only a source of enjoyment and discovery but also a vehicle for sustainability, inclusion, and social justice."

"Tourism is about competitiveness, professionalism, and consumer trends in the travel market," underscored Antonio Garamendi, president of CEOE, highlighting the role of this sector as a driving force for other activities. In the case of Spain, this sector is a reference abroad, especially in Ibero-America.

Roberto Suárez, general secretary of the International Organization of Employers (OIE), stressed the importance of promoting innovative practices in tourism and advocating for much more responsible environmental management. Everything must be done efficiently, he said, "by prioritizing a solution to the high rate of informality; taking care of entrepreneurs, heroes, and heroines who create jobs; and calling for public-private collaboration, working in effective partnerships and leaving confrontation behind."

Fernando Treviño, first vice president of COPARMEX, added that Mexico's tourism sector's competitiveness depends on the capacity to strengthen and promote domestic and sustainable tourism promotion, as well as ensuring that more sustainable tourism businesses are born and remain in the national territory. "As we celebrate our achievements in tourism, we also recognize the challenges we still face. This congress is an invaluable opportunity to reflect, collaborate, and forge a path toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and fair tourism in Mexico and throughout the Ibero-American region. View COPARMEX as an ally in achieving this goal," he concluded.

Participants and Themes

After the opening session, the event focused on three thematic panels: sustainability, resilience, and humanism in the tourism sector. These served as starting points for the event, followed by two presentations: Leading the Change: Defending the Mexican Caribbean, and Adaptability, a Decisive Bet. A conversation with a distinguished representative from ProColombia, under the theme Experiences from Colombia, the Country of Beauty, was also held. Subsequently, a document of conclusions and recommendations from the Congress was presented, and the session was closed by representatives from the Mexican government, the adviser to the presidency of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), Raúl Félix-Díaz Valencia, and the subregional director for Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America of SEGIB, Héctor Dada.

Public, Private Sectors Adopt Tourism Priorities 

Within the framework of the congress, Permanent Secretary of the Council of Ibero-American Businesspeople (CEIB) Narciso Casado presented an Inventory of Tourism Priorities for the Ibero-American Region. This document encapsulates the main conclusions reached by the public and private sectors of the 22 Ibero-American countries during the closing session of the congress. Prior to this, Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, announced that the renowned "Country of Beauty" will host the second edition of the Congress next year.

During the presentation of the Tourism Priorities Inventory for the Ibero-American Region, the pressing need to address the imminent transformation of the tourism workforce was evident. This entails an approach to training and capacity-building accessible to all social segments, scalable across the entire tourism value chain, adaptable to new technological trends, agile in responding to market needs, and consistent with the sustainability challenges facing the sector.

Government representatives and business leaders advocate for the identification and focus of efforts on vulnerable communities, advancing toward a new paradigm of opportunity where they can be key players in the tourism value chain. This involves facilitating their access to training, decent employment opportunities, and mechanisms promoting equity and inclusion in employment. Casado also emphasized the need to promote public policies that place social development at the heart of destination competitiveness, providing incentives, stimuli, and channeling cooperation to make the sector a promoter of talent wherever it may be found.

The document also highlights the importance of promoting and facilitating inspection, surveillance, and control as mechanisms for the proper formalization of all actors in the tourism services chain and as a strategy to ensure that the sector's environmental and social issues and negative impacts are addressed at all levels. It is also considered essential to promote tourism planning for territories that respond to a sustainable vision and result from the participation of all social actors involved: local communities, entrepreneurs, tourists, public institutions, and expert voices. There is a call to implement governance for resilience, with a comprehensive approach to tourism security encompassing environmental security, promoting healthy ecosystems, economic security, driving the competitiveness of business actors, quality employment, and good working conditions for workers, and social security for local communities, while preventing negative impacts such as displacement, increased cost of living, restricted access to basic services, and gentrification, among others. Also noted was personal security, which serves to combat crime, human trafficking, and drug trafficking, and protects tourists as consumers.

The public and private sectors also agree on the need to stimulate tourist engagement and involvement in the structural transformation of the sector toward sustainability, promoting their involvement in preserving natural environments in destinations, protecting cultural heritage, and social development through consumption and the experience of tourism services.

Lastly, there is an emphasis on the importance of promoting the transfer of good practices to all levels of the value chain, constant public-private dialog, and communication of destinations in the Ibero-American space, promoting a new competitiveness approach based on sustainability, resilience, and humanism.

This new line of work initiated by CEIB and FIJE has gained traction and will be closely followed due to its relevance to the region. The concept of tourism as a wealth-generating business activity, a driver of education and new job opportunities for young people, is enriching for the present and future of the region.

Conclusion

The congress was concluded by Sen. Rogelio Márquez Valdivia, de Zulueta, Raúl Félix-Díaz Valencia from the CCE, and Héctor Dada from SEGIB. Sen. Márquez emphasized that "the experience of this congress opens infinite opportunities for all of us to participate in improving the quality of life for many Latin Americans and Ibero-Americans." When talking about tourism, he added, we are talking about people, both those who provide the service and those who engage in activities to ensure excellent care for people. "When we talk about a more humanistic vision, this precisely implies respect for human dignity," he emphasized.

De Zulueta declared, "We will continue working, transforming these agreements into something tangible, something real, through adequate public policies because that is what is needed for us to have a more sustainable, inclusive, and fair tourism."

Speaking on behalf of the CCE, Valencia underscored that in the face of major environmental and security challenges, "we agree on the need to maintain ongoing dialog among all stakeholders involved in matters directly and indirectly related to tourism, to achieve the fulfillment of immediate and long-term commitments, through international cooperation mechanisms and public-private partnerships.”