KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC—Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, is attending the 26th Inter-American Congress of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Tourism at the Organization of American States (OAS) headquarters in the United States.
The April 3-4 meeting is being held under the theme ‘Harnessing the Power of Heritage Tourism for Development in the Americas.’ It will bring together more than 22 tourism ministers, other high-level national authorities from OAS member states, and experts from across the Americas.
The Congress will explore how cultural heritage, community-based initiatives, and inclusive tourism can drive sustainable economic development and environmental stewardship across the region.
It is expected to adopt Ecuador’s Draft Declaration and Plan of Action and elect new authorities for the Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR).
Among the topics on the agenda are building an Inter-American Plan for Heritage Tourism, promoting tourism in indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, empowering micro, small, and medium-sized tourism enterprises (MSMEs), and strengthening community-based tourism models.
Bartlett, chair of the Inter-American Tourism Commission, will address the opening ceremony on Thursday.
The Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) chair and Permanent Representative of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the OAS, Ambassador Lou-Anne Gilchrist, and OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, will also address the session.
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