First Regional Gathering of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean Holds Successfully in Punta Cana, Organized by UN Tourism

The UN Tourism Congress on Sustainable Tourism, held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, marked a significant milestone in the development of a regional legal approach to sustainable tourism[2][4]. The event, organized by UN Tourism, Grupo Puntacana, Quiroz Advisors - QA Legal, and the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, brought together legal professionals, government representatives, international organizations, and key players in the tourism sector[1].

Notable attendees included Mateo Estrella, Minister of Tourism of Ecuador, and Carlos Peguero, Vice-Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic[2]. Alicia Gómez, Director of the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards at UN Tourism, emphasized the importance of clear and transparent legal frameworks, inclusive governance models, and a cross-cutting approach to economic, social, and environmental sustainability[1].

Over two days, experts and authorities discussed challenges and opportunities in tourism from a legal perspective, with issues such as sustainability, governance, land use planning, short-term tourism rentals, accessible tourism, and access to green investments being analyzed[1]. The conference underscored the commitment to sustainable and competitive destination development[2].

A working group on Governance and Land Use Planning was formed, with the aim of developing legal recommendations on land use planning and land management as a tourism resource[1]. The conclusions of this working group will serve as a basis for developing good practice guidelines and future actions by the LAC Observatory in this area[1].

A post-conference on green investments was held, exploring financial mechanisms to promote a more inclusive and sustainable tourism economy[1]. The event reinforced the commitment of UN Tourism and its partners to creating more sustainable and competitive destinations[2].

The Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) participated in the post-conference on green investments[1]. Representation from the business, academic, and financial sectors of the region was present at the conference[1].

For further detailed documents or publications from the congress, monitoring UNWTO’s official site (unwto.org) and its updates is recommended, as they regularly publish reports, toolkits, and frameworks related to sustainable tourism policies and investments[1]. Together, these initiatives form part of a global push to embed sustainable principles into tourism governance and investment on multiple levels.

The UN Tourism Congress on Sustainable Tourism highlighted the development of a regional legal approach to sustainable tourism, marking a significant milestone.
The event, organized by UN Tourism, Grupo Puntacana, Quiroz Advisors - QA Legal, and the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, focused on legal frameworks, governance models, and sustainable development.
Experts and authorities from various sectors, including legal professionals, government representatives, and key players in the tourism industry, discussed challenges and opportunities in tourism from a legal perspective.
Alicia Gómez, Director of the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards at UN Tourism, underscored the importance of clear and transparent legal frameworks, inclusive governance models, and a cross-cutting approach to sustainability.
Issues such as sustainability, governance, land use planning, short-term tourism rentals, accessible tourism, and access to green investments were analyzed during the conference.
A working group on Governance and Land Use Planning was formed to develop legal recommendations for sustainable tourism resource management.
The conclusions of this working group will serve as a basis for developing good practice guidelines and future actions by the LAC Observatory in this area, promoting sustainable and competitive destination development.
The post-conference on green investments explored financial mechanisms to promote a more inclusive and sustainable tourism economy, with participation from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

First Regional Gathering of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean Holds Successfully in Punta Cana, Organized by UN Tourism