Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable Tourism Directorate mobilizes the collective capacity of the Greater Caribbean to develop tourism sustainable in order to enhance the quality of life of the present and future generations

An assessment of the situation…

Tourism constitutes the main economic activity for most countries of the Greater Caribbean and represents a significant factor in foreign exchange earnings and social development. Hence, the importance of its sustainability as the basis for cultural and environmental protection and the improvement of the distribution of benefits derived from its development are crucial.

To a mission …

To achieve the establishment of the Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean (STZC) as a geographically determined cultural, socio-economic and biologically rich and diverse unit, in which tourism development is based on the principles of sustainability, integration, co-operation and consensus.

And a programme…

Requiring:

  • The entry into force of the Convention establishing the STZC to serve as a unifying element in the development of the region
  • The implementation of Sustainable Tourism Indicators to evaluate destinations to become part of the STZC
  • The development of information management tools to monitor the advances of the tourism sector
  • The increased cooperation among relevant stakeholders

 

MAJOR PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

The political will of the ACS Head of State and/or Government to utilise tourism as a tool for sustainable development would require the participation of all regional tourism stakeholders to become a reality.The ACS’ Sustainable Tourism Work Programme has been conceptualised to create a portfolio of projects that would form the basis for the establishment of the Caribbean as a Sustainable Tourism Zone.

Taking into consideration the ACS’ VII Meeting of Heads of State and/or Governement in Havana, Cuba, in June 2016, on political focus and the formulation of long-term programmes, this programme is supported by three major Programmatic Areas, under which projects are identified and executed. These projects are focused on the overall objective of the ACS Sustainable Tourism Directorate to develop initiatives that would facilitate consultation, co-operation and concerted action among ACS Member States and Associate Members in the area of Sustainable Tourism.

The three ACS Sustainable Tourism Programmatic Areas are:

  1. Establishment and Consolidation of the Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Greater Caribbean (STZC)
  2. Capacity-Building in the Tourism Sector 
  3. Community-Based Tourism