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Versión Español | February 2015

SEDI News

Honduras-OAS Partner to Enhance the Sustainability of its Tourism Sector

Honduras Works to Enhance the Sustainability of its Tourism Sector

Honduras is seeking to increase the appeal of its tourism sector for the growing number of travelers interested in responsible tourism and authentic experiences, while simultaneously balancing the protection of its natural and cultural assets. To support these efforts, the OAS-SEDI partnered with the Honduras Institute of Tourism and from February 16-21, began the process of evaluating the sustainability of Utila, Bay Islands as a tourism destination. 

The OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Sherry Tross, welcomed the beginning of the project, stating that “for the OAS, it is important that we contribute to efforts to mainstream sustainability in the management of tourism destinations in our member states. A destination’s future success is largely dependent on its ability to preserve its natural and cultural asset base while enhancing the wellbeing of residents.”

This is the first of a three-step process to be undertaken in Utila as part of the Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the Americas (SDAA), a multi-stakeholder tourism initiative, that aims to improve the way tourism is managed in order to enhance the competitiveness of the region. This first exercise included a visit from a team of specialists from the OAS and Sustainable Travel International (an SDAA partner), who worked with local stakeholders to develop a snapshot of the destination’s performance, by using the Sustainable Travel International’s signature Rapid Destination Diagnostic tool, which is based on 118 internationally recognized sustainability indicators.

The assessment outlined good practices, risks and opportunities, as well as recommendations for improvement, implementation and capacity building in Utila. These results will serve as inputs for the second step of the project that consists of engaging the destination’s tourism leaders in an action planning forum that will help to validate identified priorities and to design an action plan tackling “quick win” projects.

In the final phase of the SDAA initiative, a destination monitoring framework will be created for Honduras through the development of a proprietary digital Destination Management System (DMS) that will use data to develop customized measurement reports.  In addition, the initiative will offer an online sustainable tourism course designed to facilitate the implementation of sustainability practices among micro, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (MSMEs), women entrepreneurs, and tourism decision-makers.

This is the first of seven destinations supported through the SDAA. To date, visits have been scheduled in Ometepe, Nicaragua (first week of March); Falmouth, Jamaica (April 20-24, 2015) and Bridgetown, Barbados (TBC). Other countries include Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, and Dominica.

The full list of sustainable destination alliance partners include the OAS, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Central American Tourism Integration Secretariat (SITCA), Sustainable Travel International, and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The OAS initiative is supported by a grant from the US Permanent Mission to the OAS.

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