Costa Rica, represented by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), was chosen as the country to hold the regional presidency for the Americas of the International Social Tourism Organization (ISTO), a position it will hold for a period of two years.
Precisely, ISTO Americas is responsible for the promotion and development of tourism for all people, inclusive, supportive, and sustainable, in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and North America.
Sergio Rodríguez is the current president of ISTO Americas, and the new representation from Costa Rica will be assigned to Alberto López, from the general management of ICT. Likewise, the Costa Rican Stephanie Sheehy, executive director of the Costa Rican Network for Accessible Tourism, was re-elected as vice president of the ISTO Americas Council.
“Costa Rica receives this designation with great honor and responsibility, also as a recognition without a doubt of the role the country has played in promoting social tourism and for all people, with inclusivity programs and the firm conviction that tourism activity, if managed under a sustainability model, is a driver of development and well-being for communities,” declared William Rodríguez, Minister of Tourism of Costa Rica.
Promoting more inclusive tourism
Our country, through the ICT, has promoted programs such as Tourism for All, which allows people in socio-economic vulnerability or with physical limitations to experience tourism; as well as activities in partnership with entities or organizations like the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, Funcavida, the Costa Rican Network for Accessible Tourism, among others, to promote more inclusive tourism for populations of older adults, cancer survivors or patients, children, and young people.
Likewise, in conjunction with the economic and environmental axes of tourism sustainability, the social dimension is also strengthened with initiatives like Crafts with Identity, which brings together 18 artisan collectives that sell their products through a proposal that maintains national and cultural identity, and is in turn a source of income for more than 350 artisan individuals.
The Comprehensive Management of Tourist Destinations, which allows for the measurement of indicators reflected in the Social Progress Index (SPI), is another area where the country stands out before ISTO, as it enables the quantification of the socioeconomic well-being of populations and the environmental impacts derived from tourism activities.
30 years of history in the Americas
ISTO arrived in the Americas in 1994 to be legally established in 1996. In these 30 years of management on the continent, it has seen the bonds between private companies, non-governmental organizations, academies, and public administrations grow and deepen in favor of a tourism development that prioritizes service to people, communities, and territories, under the promotion of concepts such as social, responsible, or community tourism. Currently, ISTO Americas is composed of more than 70 organizations from 17 nations, as well as 15 individual partners.
The International Social Tourism Organization (ISTO) is a non-profit international association that brings together 190 organizations from 45 countries with actions revolving around themes such as accessibility, fair trade, the environment, solidarity, and quality of life.
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