Policies and Management Tools for the Sustainable Development of Tourism



A total of forty one participants- 35 from Mexico and 6 representatives from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Peru and the Dominican Republic- took part in the course.

The course presented policies and practical tools developed by UNWTO for the sustainable development of tourism, and covered the main issues in sustainability and present ways to address these issues, both globally and practically in local destinations. The course also dealt with specific ways to support the implementation of policies and strategies for sustainable development of tourism in countries and destinations in the region.   

The dynamic and interactive structure encouraged participants to exchange and reflect on each others´ experiences, allowing them to take away practical lessons applicable in their home countries.

Representatives from the Mexican governement, Ms. Amalia Garica, Governor of Zacatecas, and Ms. Carolina Cárdenas, SECTUR´s Undersecretary for Tourism Planning, participated in “Policies and Management Tools for the Sustainable Development of Tourism”.

As in past editions, this course was developed within the framework of collaboration between UNWTO, the Mexico´s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR), and the UNWTO.Themis Foundation.

Management Tools for Implementation and Monitoring of Tourism Policy and Strategy

UNWTO and El Salvador´s Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) jointly organized the course “Management Tools for Implementation and Monitoring of Tourism Policy and Strategy” (El Salvador, 17-21 November 2008). This course was carried out under the Capacity Building Programme of UNWTO´s Department of Education and Training and the UNWTO.Themis Foundation.A total of twenty eight government officials, 23 from El Salvador and 5 from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela, participated in the course. These officials represented local, regional and national tourism administrations of their respective countries.

The course provided participants with practical tools in  the planning, management and efficient administration of tourism policy and strategy for improved destination competitiveness. The opening ceremony was led by El Salvador´s Minister of Tourism, Mr. José Rubén Rochi Parker, alongside other governemnt authorities. National and international course participants were also present at the inauguration, as were managers of the Salvadoran Institute for Tourism.

The course, which combined theory with an interactive programme, was focused around the following key knowledge areas: tourism policy and strategy, governance in tourism, instruments and programmes for the implementation of tourism strategy and models for tourism administration and management.In sessions moderated by professors with international experience, participants gained practical knowledge and had the chance to learn from the experiences shared by participants from a diverse set of institutions and countries. 

“Management Tools for Implementation and Monitoring of Tourism Policy and Strategy” was carried out under the Collaboration Agreement between UNWTO, the Salvadoran Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), through the Salvadoran Corporation for Tourism (CORSATUR), and the UNWTO.Themis Foundation.