by Frank Martin

The Caribbean already has an old friendship, by the way, imperishable, with sustainable tourism.

This type of brotherhood is especially due to the effort developed in the region by the AEC organization, which maintains as one of its principles to attract vacation travelers as long as they do not harm the environment. nor the communities.

The Association of Caribbean States, that is, the ACS, the area’s official body, signed the Agreement for the Establishment of the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Zone (ZTSC) on Margarita Island, Venezuela at its 2001 summit.

This signature, among other elements, identify the Caribbean region “as a rich and diverse cultural, geographical, socioeconomic, and biological unit, in which tourism development will depend on sustainability and the principles of integration, cooperation, and consensus, aimed at facilitating the integral development of the Greater Caribbean”, according to the letter of the treaty.

Of course, the decisions of the Caribbean are in line with the importance that sustainable development in the tourism industry is gaining every day in the world.

The best example of is that the next edition of the FITUR 2023 International Tourism Fair, recognized for its great influence in the world of vacations, will be dedicated to promoting strategies aimed at promoting tourism that is respectful of the ecosystem.

This respect extends to the environment, local culture and its values in the social and economic context as a source of employment, wealth and well-being.

It cannot be otherwise, say experts who confirm the crucial need for a sustainable program worldwide.

FITUR 2023 will be held from January 18 to 23 in  Madrid and, as already announced, will represent the strength of the international tourism industry and its commitment to sustainable growth.

Innovation and digital transformation are on the agenda as key differentiators and drivers of the development of the international tourism industry.

For example, the measurement of the carbon footprint in the framework of the formalization of reduction commitments will be a topic of the Madrid meeting.

FITUR already promotes the sustainable participation of companies and professionals, through action guides and recommendations to follow.

This is done in order to reduce the negative effects that the fair may have and promote  waste reduction and mobility, as announced in the call.

Experts qualify these initiatives as good tourism practices in terms of sustainability and regeneration of the natural environment.

Destinations  considered for the 2023 sustainability awards were the city of Roseau in Dominica; Bayahibe in the Dominican Republic; The tourist area of Ocho Rios in Jamaica; the island of Cozumel in the Mexican Caribbean; The Portobello area, on the Panamanian Caribbean coast and others.

In the area, the Caribe Maya is a sustainable tourism initiative promoted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that integrates the Caribbean coast of Guatemala and the coastal zone and islands of northern Honduras. , which are part of the Mesoamerican Reef System

The defense of sustainable tourism is very well received by the Caribbean authorities.

In this part of the world, rising temperatures affect the intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones and the exposure of people and resources along the coasts due to sea level rise.

This leads governments to fight against the consequences of climate change and act accordingly.