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OAS and Ecuador Sign Agreement by which Quito Will Host 20th Inter-American Tourism Congress

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador today signed the agreement by which Quito will host the 20th Inter-American Congress of Ministers and High Level Tourism Authorities, to take place on September 12 and 13.

The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, said that "conscientious tourism" has been chosen as the central theme of the event, since the growth of tourism in recent years makes it necessary "to take into account its ecological aspects" as well as issues such as inclusiveness and non-discrimination

Secretary General Insulza noted that the Inter-American Tourism Congress is one of the oldest institutions in the Inter-American System, recalling that the first Congress was held in 1939. He said that "Ecuador is an ideal place to hold this event," because "in terms of density it is the country with the greatest biodiversity in the world, with enormous wildlife treasures, combined with great cultural richness."

In this regard, the OAS Secretary General mentioned that there are two cities in Ecuador that have been named as part of the Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Quito and Cuenca), and that the country also has three sites that have been declared Natural Heritage of Humanity sites (the Galapagos Islands, the Marine Reserve of the Galapagos Islands, and Sangay National Park).

The 20th Inter-American Tourism Congress coincides with the Second World Congress on Tourism and Ethics, and with the 54th Meeting of the World Commission on Tourism for the Americas (CAM-OMT), an organization with which the OAS, noted Secretary General Insulza, has an "excellent relationship, which allows us to further strengthen ties and ensure that the world body and the regional body work toward the same goals."

The Ambassador of Ecuador to the OAS, Maria Isabel Salvador, said that "for my country it is a source of pride and satisfaction to be able to host this Congress," and stressed the importance of "the subject to be discussed: conscientious tourism." The Representative of Ecuador stressed that the issue is a new concept in the region, and that the government expects its discussion at the Congress will contribute to its definitive placement on the regional agenda.

The OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin and the OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development Jorge Saggiante were present at the signing ceremony, which was held at the headquarters of the organization in Washington, DC.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The video of the event is available here.

The audio of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-284/12