ISTO Americas and UNESCO agree to collaborate on promoting inclusive and sustainable tourism.

On 29 April, at the Tianguis Turístico of Mexico in Acapulco, the Secretariat for the Americas of the International Social Tourism Organisation (ISTO Americas) and UNESCO in Mexico formalised the signing of a letter of intent marking a strategic step towards strengthening more inclusive, accessible and sustainable tourism in the region.

The letter was signed by Mr Andrés Morales, UNESCO’s representative in Mexico, and Mr Alberto López, president of ISTO Americas, consolidating in this new partnership their shared vision of tourism as a tool for sustainable development capable of generating well-being, social cohesion and the appreciation of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.

An action-oriented framework for collaboration

The agreement brings together the capabilities of both organisations -UNESCO’s policy and methodological expertise and ISTO Americas’ capacity for local implementation and stakeholder mobilisation- to generate concrete positive impact.

Its main objectives include:

• The joint development of programmes, projects and indicators that strengthen the sustainable, accessible and inclusive management of cultural heritage sites and cultural elements.
• The promotion of methodologies and reference frameworks that position universal accessibility as a key condition for the exercise of the right to tourism.
• The exchange of knowledge and best practices at the international level, fostering cooperation between territories.
• The coordination of networks of public, private, community and academic stakeholders to drive concrete policies and actions.
• The organisation of technical meetings and training sessions to generate replicable models across the region.

The agreement paves the way for concrete actions on the ground. One of the first areas of exploration involves the development of pilot initiatives in cities and destinations seeking to move towards inclusive tourism models, integrating accessibility, community participation and heritage enhancement as key pillars of development.

San Luis Potosí: a flagship region for implementation

The Mayor of San Luis Potosí, Mr Enrique Galindo, also signed the agreement as an honorary witness and announced that the city will be the first to join this new partnership between UNESCO and ISTO Americas, with the aim of positioning it as a key region for cooperation, where pilot schemes will be progressively implemented to test the principles and tools emerging from this partnership, generating concrete lessons that can be transferred to other destinations across the Americas.

A partnership dedicated to making an impact

This signing forms part of a broader working framework that seeks to advance the operationalisation of social sustainability in tourism, a challenge that remains poorly structured at the international level.

By linking global frameworks with local implementation, ISTO Americas and UNESCO reaffirm their commitment to a form of tourism that not only generates economic development but also positively transforms people, communities and regions.

Beyond the agreements themselves, the true value of this partnership lies in its ability to translate into concrete actions and real impacts on people’s daily lives.

About UNESCO

With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs more than 2,300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2,000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks, networks of Creative, Educational, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities, and more than 13,000 Associated Schools, university chairs and training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Khaled El-Enany.

About ISTO Americas

ISTO Americas is the regional branch for the Americas of the International Social Tourism Organisation (ISTO), an international non-profit association founded in 1963 in Brussels, whose mission is to promote accessible, inclusive, solidarity-based and sustainable tourism for all.

Established in 1996 in Montreal, Canada, ISTO Americas coordinates a network of public, private, community and academic stakeholders committed to developing policies, programmes and projects that guarantee access to tourism as a right and a tool for human development. Through its work on the ground, ISTO Americas drives innovation, the generation of applied knowledge and international cooperation, contributing to the enhancement of cultural heritage, the strengthening of local communities and the creation of fairer, more responsible and sustainable tourist destinations throughout the region.