The Americas Plans to Boost Tourist Confidence with UNWTO International Code

Countries around the world took a huge hit, especially in the tourism sector, when the pandemic started. And the Americas is not an exception to its effects. So now UNWTO is planning on making active efforts and taking initiatives to boost tourist confidence in the Americas.

UNWTO or United Nations World Tourism Organization has created a fundamental frame of reference for the recovery of tourism after the pandemic era passes known as International Code for the Protection of Tourists (ICPT). ICPT holds a set of minimum standards for the protection of tourists during emergencies and their consumer rights, which are acknowledged globally.

Tourism leaders across the Americas have gathered and held a seminar on the UNWTO International Code for the Protection of Tourists (ICPT) to analyse the current situation, the challenges and areas that require some changes to restore confidence in travel across the region.

The seminar also featured the involvement of experts in drafting an ideal legal framework. This code was approved at the 24th UNWTO General Assembly in Madrid, Spain. This will focus primarily on providing proper legal protection to tourists as the world opens up its borders for travellers.

Thus far the countries that have embraced ICPT and are in the process of integrating it into their national policies and legislation are Ecuador, Guinea-Bissau, Moldova and Paraguay. To develop the appropriate guidelines to implement the ICPT codes within the country, Ecuador is currently developing its national Organic Tourism Law. And recently, Uruguay has expressed its plans to join these countries in this journey.

This seminar took place at the 67th meeting of the UNWTO Commission for the Americas and the 1st International Congress on Tourism and Law organised by Uruguay in collaboration with UNWTO.

The participants at the seminar were provided with a report on the survey, conducted recently by the Association of the Caribbean States in collaboration with UNWTO, which assesses the influence of the ICPT on ‘visitor protection legislation and policies.

Furthermore, the specific challenges and scopes for recovery of the tourism industry in the Americas post-pandemic were discussed in depth by a panel of Ministries of Tourism. Conversations about the possible emergency situations and consumer protection rights, as well as conjuring innovative techniques to re-establish tourist’s confidence in the tourism industry of the Americas.