Panama tourism declaration stresses sustainable tourism in Central America

AMMAN – Tourism ministers in Panama supported a declaration on Wednesday calling for more sustainable tourism in Central America.  

The declaration, tilted “Transformation Towards the Tourism of the Future” was endorsed by ministers and tourism officials in the region, as well as by high executives of the Adventure Travel and Trade Association (ATTA) during a roundtable discussion. This was the first time an event of this kind was held in Central America, according to a statement by event organisers.

The declaration was made in response to the World Tourism Organisation’s call for both governments and the private sector to rethink the tourism sector’s development as it recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The United Nations Specialised Agency identified this time as “an opportunity to accelerate tourism’s shift towards greater sustainability and ensure benefits the sector creates are more fairly distributed”.

“We are committed to the transformation towards a carbon-neutral and more socially resilient tourism economy -- including new business models through digitalization,” read the declaration.

Support for the declaration was given by the ministers of tourism of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Jordan Director of North America, Malia Asfour, also endorsed the declaration.