In the picture UNWTO SG Zurab Pololikashvili, President Luis Abinader, and DR Tourism Minister David Collado Morales – Picture by UNWTO.
Friday, 7 May 2021, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: President of Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader invited the tourism ministers participating in the XXVI Summit of Tourism Ministers of the Americas, convened by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), to “show the world that we are redesigning the future of tourism, that this is Latin America’s moment”.
President Abinader affirmed that, “today I feel prouder to be part of Latin American leadership. Seeing this commitment inspires me to move forward, to get up every day and bet on the future of our region”.
Tourism leaders in the Americas committed to jointly addressing the reactivation of tourism, making the sector a priority and adopting international protocols. Additionally, they agreed to emphasize innovation and digital transformation, develop sustainable tourism and strengthen support mechanisms for workers and impacted companies.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili commended the way Dominican Republic has handled the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted that “re-establishing trust in travel is a key first step towards tourism recovery, bringing hope to millions of people in the Americas and igniting the economic recuperation in general.”
Among the main topics of discussion included re-establishing confidence in travel, protecting businesses and jobs, and ensuring that the benefits of the tourism revival are felt beyond the industry itself. The working sessions were attended in person by ministers and vice ministers of Brazil, Colombia (Vice Minister of Tourism, Julián Guerrero) Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico (Secretary of Tourism, Miguel Torruco Marqués), Panama, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela, and virtually by government officials from Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, Nicaragua, and Peru.
The meetings were developed with the coordination of the host country through the Ministry of Tourism of Dominican Republic, with the participation of representatives of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Association of Hotels and Tourism of Dominican Republic, among other sector organizations.
The summit ended with attendees signing the Declaration of Punta Cana which sealed the commitment of the regional leaders to make tourism a pillar of sustainable development and ensure an effective recovery plan post-COVID.
For further information
Presidency of Dominican Republic: http://www.presidencia.gob.do/noticias/abinader-pide-en-reunion-de-la-omt-en-puna-cana-mostrar-que-america-esta-unida
