Caribbean, Central American Destinations to Receive Sustainability Support

Seven Caribbean and Central American destinations will receive support to “enhance the long-term viability” of their tourism sectors from the Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the Americas (SDAA), a public-private partnership designed to “focus on destination sustainability” in the Americas.

Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua were named SDAA’s first seven destination partners at the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Congress of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Tourism in Barbados this week.

The seven destinations will each receive a Sustainable Destination Toolkit, designed to help each region “enrich the lives of the people and protect the region for many generations to come,” according to an SDAA statement. The Toolkit includes a destination assessment, an action agenda with short- and long-term solutions and a destination-monitoring system “to ensure on-going success.”

The Toolkit is being funded by two SDAA partners, the United States’ Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which is supporting the initiative through its Ocean Fund.

“The Bahamas’ participation in the initiative is important because tourism alone provides an estimated 60 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and employs about half the Bahamian work force,” said Joy Jibrilu, director general of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. “Additionally, approximately five million tourists arrive annually at the Port of Nassau,” she said.

“Whatever we can do to improve, grow, and ultimately sustain the Port in a responsible way, will benefit everyone, including visitors, cruise lines, and Bahamians,” Jibrilu added.

“Sustainable tourism development is considered a driving force for development of the local economy and well-being of Nicaraguan families, as well as for raising awareness of the importance of protection of natural and cultural heritage,” said Mayra Salinas, executive president of the Nicaragua Institute of Tourism. “We are confident that this initiative will help us to strengthen public-private partnerships for shared and improved management of the destination."

SDAA partners include the Organization of American States, Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Central American Tourism Integration Secretariat, Sustainable Travel International, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and the U.S. government through the United States Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States.

Source: Travel Pulse