Tourism: A Challenge in the Face of Poverty.

AuthorDuran, Jose Napoleon Duarte
PositionINTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAS - Conference news

On September 29-30, 2011, our country will host the 19th InterAmerican Travel Congress, organized together with the Organization of American States (OAS).

This is a great opportunity for El Salvador, and we look forward to bringing Latin America's Ministers of Tourism together to seek convergence in important high-level dialogue, create a more integrated perspective, and take an in-depth look at the reality that the tourism industry is experiencing in the hemisphere today. We hope to provide a forum in which our reflections will yield better proposals for responsible social tourism in all of our nations.

In this meeting, called "Tourism: A Challenge in the Face of Poverty," we have the opportunity to contribute fresh and innovative ideas about tourism as part of the fight to reduce poverty, create jobs, and increase social harmony in our nations.

One of the most important goals of tourism is precisely that of improving the well-being of poor communities. The conservation of their surrounding environment benefits tourism, but it also benefits communities and gives people important opportunities to transform their local economies.

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Governments must provide direction and guidance in this process with visionary strategies and practical policies to increase the quality of life for our people.

Tourism makes it possible to capitalize on our natural and cultural resources, our history, and our heritage. That is why it is important to implement tourism strategies in favor of the poor, strategies that allow people to become more productive.

As in other countries, tourism in Latin America provides an immediate opportunity to create jobs, bring in investment, and build public-private partnerships for our economies. As our people continue to look for ways to position their strengths and find a way forward, tourism is also an important place for civil society to play an active role.

Part of our job is to counteract any negative images that might be...

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