First Regional Meeting of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by UN Tourism, held in Punta Cana
In a significant move towards sustainable tourism, a working group on Governance and Land Use Planning was formed with the aim of developing legal recommendations for land use planning and management as a tourism resource. The event brought together dozens of legal professionals, government representatives, international organizations, and key players in the tourism sector.
While the specific details of the "Sustainable Tourism Development Conference 2021" are not extensively documented, a related milestone event was reported in August 2025: the first Regional Congress of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean. This congress marked progress towards consolidating a regional legal approach to sustainable tourism development in the region and reinforced UN commitments on this topic.
Sustainable tourism challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean often involve balancing economic benefits with environmental protection, addressing overtourism, climate resilience, community engagement, and adaptive governance frameworks. The 2025 congress likely discussed legal frameworks that harmonize sustainability goals with tourism growth, emphasizing regulatory frameworks, community participation, and adaptive management as key components.
Recommendations that typically arise in such settings include strengthening regional cooperation for coordinated legal and policy frameworks, promoting community-centric and ecotourism models to preserve biodiversity and cultural heritage, implementing adaptive management and climate resilience strategies to mitigate environmental impacts and sustain local livelihoods, and fostering capacity-building and stakeholder engagement to ensure inclusive and equitable tourism development.
The conference reinforced the commitment of UN Tourism and its partners to creating more sustainable and competitive destinations. Notable attendees included the Minister of Tourism of Ecuador, Mateo Estrella, and the Vice-Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, Carlos Peguero. Representatives from the business, academic, and financial sectors of the region were also present.
The Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) participated in a post-conference on green investments. Issues such as sustainability, governance, land use planning, short-term tourism rentals, accessible tourism, and access to green investments were analyzed. A post-conference on green investments was held, exploring financial mechanisms to promote a more inclusive and sustainable tourism economy.
Tourism Law was emphasized as a key tool to build more resilient and sustainable tourism destinations. At the opening ceremony, Alicia Gómez stressed the importance of clear and transparent legal frameworks, inclusive governance models, and a cross-cutting approach to economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
The event was organized by UN Tourism, Grupo Puntacana, Quiroz Advisors - QA Legal, and the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic. Specialized training was provided to the private sector on the application of international standards for accessible tourism. Experts and authorities discussed the main challenges and opportunities facing tourism in the region from a legal perspective.
The conference marks a significant milestone in the consolidation of a regional legal approach to sustainable tourism development, signifying a continuous push towards creating robust legal instruments and practical solutions for sustainable tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean. For detailed documents or recommendations from the 2021 conference, one may need to refer to specialized UN or regional tourism governance platforms or archives that specialize in Latin American sustainable development.
- The working group aimed to develop legal recommendations for sustainable tourism development, focusing on land use planning and management as tourism resources.
- The Sustainable Tourism Development Conference 2021 brought together professionals, government representatives, international organizations, and tourism sector key players.
- The 2025 Regional Congress of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean reinforced UN commitments on sustainable tourism development.
- The congress emphasized legal frameworks that harmonize sustainability goals with tourism growth, prioritizing regulatory frameworks, community participation, and adaptive management.
- UN Tourism and its partners committed to creating more sustainable and competitive tourism destinations at the conference, with attendees from the business, academic, and financial sectors.
- The Development Bank of Latin America and the Inter-American Development Bank analyzed green investments in a post-conference, discussing financial mechanisms to promote a more inclusive and sustainable tourism economy.
- Tourism Law was highlighted as a crucial tool for building more resilient and sustainable tourism destinations, with a focus on clear legal frameworks, inclusive governance models, and economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
