Tourism in the Americas

Understanding Tourism

In an increasingly interdependent world, the economies of the developing countries have become more sensitive and vulnerable. Many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean suffer deep inequality of wealth, with almost one-third of the region?s people living in poverty. Tourism, if it takes into account ecological and cultural needs, can contribute substantially towards economic and social development and the alleviation of poverty.

When the World Tourism Organization adopted its Global Code of Ethics for Tourism in Santiago, Chile in 1999, I recalled the organization's fundamental mission as described in its statutes, "the promotion and development of tourism with a view to contributing to economic development, international understanding, peace?." After the September 11 attacks, tourism is more essential now than ever to build bridges of cultural understanding and to bolster faltering economies.

On the economic front, tourism has the capacity to create jobs?jobs for the poor, jobs for women and young people, jobs in the indigenous communities, unskilled as well as highly qualified jobs, jobs in seaside resorts as well as in remote rural areas and in ecotourism activities. Tourism is a much more diverse industry than many others and can build upon a wide resource base. Diversity increases the scope for wide participation. Furthermore, most export industries depend on financial, productive and human capital. Indeed, tourism depends on these but also on natural capital, such as wildlife, scenery and beaches, and culture, vital assets of many developing countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. For these reasons combined, tourism should be considered as one of the important economic development opportunities available to developing countries in the region.

Over the past five years, some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean recorded considerably higher annual growth rate of international tourist arrivals than the world average of 4.9 %. Cuba and the Dominican Republic, with more than one million arrivals, even achieved double digit growth of 18 and 11 %, respectively. In terms of international tourism receipts, Central American destinations, including Panama and Belize, enjoyed a phenomenal annual growth rate of 13.1 per cent between 1995 and 2000, more than four times the world average.

Despite the strong tourism performances of these selected countries, the region as a whole is far from exploiting to the full its potential for tourism and needs to meet further challenges. Tourism development requires the efficient and coordinated action of all the social agents and economic actors of each country. Governments have been slow to demonstrate their readiness to back tourism development, which is still struggling to find its rightful place in the political and social arena.

The contribution of tourism to social and economic growth in developing countries is of more critical importance than in developed countries. The World Tourism Organization itself will set a good example by including poverty alleviation as a new priority in its budget for 2002-2003. Indeed, at a time when the international community is becoming aware that the development divide, far from narrowing, is growing wider, tourism is beginning to be perceived as a means of closing the gap between rich and poor internationally as well in individual countries.

At the First IberoAmerican Tourism Summit in Cuzco, Peru, last year, government officials from the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries of the Americas, plus Spain and Portugal, met to give tourism a priority role in economic development programs. Their joint declaration, The Cuzco Commitment, declared that tourism should produce the desired social, economic and cultural impact and contribute to the fight against poverty. They further agreed that tourism should be used to strengthen the links between their countries, while guaranteeing a sustainable level of development to preserve their environment and cultural authenticity. An action plan, slated to be made public at a second meeting this year, set out ways to improve the quality of life, encourage job creation and develop business opportunities through tourism, while actively involving local and indigenous populations.

These leaders are seeking to put into effect the principles set out in the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism: open and balanced relations between responsible partners, a growing liberalization of tourism trade that is consistent with the need for sustainable development, and the unflagging pursuit of peace. The Code sets out to minimize the negative impact of tourism on the environment, host communities and the cultural heritage.

Here, in these pages of ReVista, you will find many different perspectives from thinkers and doers on tourism, development, and beyond.

Francesco Frangialli is the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, headquartered in Madrid.