Óscar Rueda
Director of Sustainable Tourism, CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-
On September 27, 1975, the World Tourism Organization, now known as UNWTO, was established as a United Nations agency to promote the organized development of this sector due to its significant impact on the economic growth of countries. Since then, this date has been celebrated as World Tourism Day, a commemoration that should set the tone for the coming year. This time, the proclamation “Tourism and Peace” will be launched in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
Since the first excursions, organized in the mid-19th century for pilgrimage purposes, we have evolved from visits to sanctuaries to today’s experiential tourism, where travelers seek to engage with local customs, activities, and traditions while learning from the destinations they visit.
Tourism's primary motivation remains leisure and relaxation, which also enriches knowledge and quality of life. However, behind this surface lies a powerful engine of sustainable development for countries, creating jobs with comparative advantages over other sectors, especially for young people and women (three indirect jobs for every direct one), with work that is difficult to replace by machines. In fact, tourism represents 11% of global employment; as a service export, it strengthens the external sector of the economy without depleting resources, redistributes income with a significant spillover effect on the population, contributes 11% of GDP, and supports cultural and natural attractions, while driving the new creative economies and industries like construction and transportation.
However, there are several challenges. The main one is sustainability in its three components: environmental, social, and cultural. We must avoid the destruction of the environment and biodiversity, as well as cultural heritage. Instead, we should focus on conservation and appreciation, involving communities and residents so they can enjoy its benefits. Tourism accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and UNWTO has set a goal of achieving NetZero by 2050. We need to accelerate efforts to win the fight against climate change.
Another challenge is social sustainability, linked to reactions like the emerging “tourism-phobia,” public protests against tourism, not against tourism itself, but explained by bad practices and poor planning. The key lies in strictly adhering to the principles of sustainable tourism. This is where CAF, with its Tourism Department, steps in to help address the challenges posed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In recent years, CAF has carried out nearly 40 Technical Cooperations and 20 Credit Operations related to tourism, as well as 11 Investment Guides developed in partnership with UNWTO, all of which strictly follow tourism sustainability safeguards and assess the impact on improving the quality of life for people in Latin America and the Caribbean.
It’s true that without peace, there can be no tourism, but tourism also contributes to building peace. By traveling, we learn about other people, their customs, and their places, fostering tolerance, which is the foundation of peaceful coexistence.
Happy Tourism Day!
