Tourism leaders from Africa and the Americas committed to collaborating in positioning tourism as a driver of sustainable and inclusive development across both continents at the first UN Tourism Africa and Americas Summit in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from October 2-5.

The summit culminated in adoption of the Punta Cana Declaration, marking the first joint meeting of UN Tourism’s Regional Commissions for Africa and the Americas.

More than 200 high-level participants, including ministers representing 15 countries in the Americas and 12 in Africa, attended the summit. Over the two days, participants discussed key themes such as education, investment and innovation within the tourism sector. The summit highlighted historical ties and cultural synergies between the regions, setting the stage for enhanced cooperation in these areas.

“Africa and the Americas are endowed with rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes and profound historical connections. Yet we recognise that, due to multiple challenges such as limited connectivity, regulatory and administrative barriers and lack of mutual market awareness, our cross-tourism relationship is not as strong as it could and should be. Our goal is to address these challenges head on,” said UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona.

Speakers highlighted the increasing importance of public and private investments in driving the green transformation of tourism, particularly infrastructure and the hotel sector.

Education and training were also highlighted with focus on the importance of skilled workers in transforming the tourism sector. Under the theme “Young talents leading the transformation”, speakers stressed the need for capacity-building initiatives, curriculum development and partnerships between academia, industry and government to prepare the next generation of tourism professionals.

Punta Cana Declaration

The Punta Cana Declaration emphasises the importance of strategic investments, education, innovation and the creative industries in promoting sustainable tourism growth. Key focus areas include:

• Strategic investments: Strengthen public-private partnerships, stimulate investments through effective policymaking, and improve air connectivity between the two regions.
• Skills development and training: Prioritise investment in tourism education and training to expand access to online and offline learning and promote digital skills.
• Innovation: Support competitions for start-up enterprises and entrepreneurs and improve support for micro, small and medium enterprises including rural communities.
• Creative industries: Promote the role of cultural and creative industries in the tourism sector by providing funding for projects with potential to attract tourists and develop new and diverse destinations and cultural routes.
• Inter-regional cooperation: Support market analysis and other research to identify potential areas of shared growth and opportunity including digital media, new products and international tourism trade fairs.