The collaboration between SITCA and ISTO Americas was highlighted with the official launching of the "Manual of best practices on social, solidarity and sustainable tourism". For this purpose, on 5 and 6 October, the Social, Solidarity and Sustainable Tourism Forum was held in Guatemala.
Co-organised by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo (INGUAT), the Secretaría de Integración Turística Centroamericana (SITCA), and the Secretariat for the Americas of the International Social Tourism Organisation (ISTO Americas), the Social, Solidarity and Sustainable Tourism Forum brought together representatives of the Ministries of Tourism of Central America and the Dominican Republic as well as important tourism stakeholders from Guatemala. The SITCA team, led by the new Executive Secretary, Ms. Ligia Miranda, and the ISTO Americas team, composed by its President, Sergio Rodríguez, its Director, Verónica Gómez, and its Project Officer, Morgane Durand-Cheval, were also present.
After the welcome words by the General Director of INGUAT, Anayansy Rodríguez, the Social, Solidarity and Sustainable Tourism Forum began with the conference entitled "For a social, solidarity and sustainable tourism in the SICA region", given by the Director of CCC Consultores and President of ISTO Americas, Sergio Rodríguez, followed by the conference "An experience of social, solidarity and sustainable tourism in Costa Rica", given by the Director of the Red Costarricense de Turismo Accesible, Stephanie Sheehy.
The rest of the event was the occasion to officially launch the Manual of Best Practices of Social, Solidarity and Sustainable Tourism, a document that presents a selection of 8 best practices identified by each National Tourism Authority of the countries of the SICA region, composed by the 7 countries of Central America and the Dominican Republic. After a brief presentation on the criteria for selecting the best practices by the Director of ISTO Americas, Verónica Gómez, it was the turn of each representative to present their best practice and to discuss in the panel some questions.
It is possible to download here the Manual of Best Practices of Social, Solidarity and Sustainable Tourism.
The second day of the forum began with a workshop led by ISTO Americas on the application of the Social, Solidarity and Sustainable Tourism guidelines, followed by a technical visit to the Senderos de Alux Municipal Ecological Park.
With the launching of this Manual, ISTO Americas seeks to further promote Social, Solidarity and Sustainable Tourism in the SICA region, but also to inspire other tourism actors around the world.
