SELA highlights the importance of ecotourism for post-pandemic recovery in the Caribbean

Through contingency, prevention and business continuity plans, as well as public-private partnerships, the effects of COVID-19 on tourism could be mitigated, but with an ecological vision.

The Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) participated in the 31st Meeting of the Special Committee on Sustainable Tourism of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), a meeting in which the organization shared the relevance of this sector for the region, but especially for the Caribbean, since it is one of its main sources of income.

Aware that this economic activity can have a high impact on the environment, SELA incorporated ecotourism and its role in promoting sustainable development in its Work Programme for 2020. This would be a new way to resume this activity, gather resources and raise awareness for future generations.

As possible options for overcoming the barriers of the pandemic an initial proposal was made to consider contingency, prevention and business and operations continuity plans in the institutions and companies working in the ecotourism sector.

Afterwards, experiences and best practices could be exchanged in order to address priorities, as well as key and strategic issues for tourism in crisis situations. In this scenario, some aspects should be taken into account for future public-private partnerships that allow for a more expeditious recovery of this sector with an ecological vision.

During the virtual meeting organized by the ACS, the Permanent Secretariat of SELA stated it seeks to create a meeting space for cooperation among organizations with the purpose of promoting ecotourism initiatives and Smart Tourist Destinations in the region, by collecting and disseminating statistical data (Open Data) for the design and implementation of public policies in this area.