29 June 2011: During a preparatory meeting for the 19th Inter-American Travel Congress (IATC), members of the Organization of American States (OAS) adopted a draft declaration on sustainable tourism development in the Americas and identified subject areas of cooperation to be financed by the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI).

The draft declaration, which will be considered for final approval during IATC 19, sets out a number of principles for sustainable tourism development, with a specific focus on promoting tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction.

The subject areas of cooperation considered for FEMCIDI funding include: competitiveness in the tourism industry; promoting sustainable tourism development through the mitigation of negative environmental impacts; the relationship between tourism and other sectors of the economy; and support for ecotourism and sustainable tourism through dialogue between the public and private sectors.

The preparatory meeting took place from 23-24 June 2011, at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, US. IATC 19 will be held from 29-30 September 2011, in San Salvador, El Salvador. [OAS Press Release] [Draft Declaration of San Salvador on Sustainable Tourism Development in the Americas]