The tourism ministers of the G20, a group made up of the world’s main economies, reinforced the importance of financing for sustainable tourism, as well as the need to invest in micro, small and medium-sized companies for what they call the sector’s “economic resilience”. .
This Saturday (21) they approved a letter with a series of recommendations, including one from Brazil for more financing lines for sustainable tourism and climate resilience actions. The so-called “Declaration of Belém” is the result of months of negotiations and the meeting of sector ministers that took place this week in Belém, Pará.
In the document, the ministers praise the Brazilian presidency of the G20 for the report on financing lines and priority areas for investment in tourism, which “highlights the crucial role of financial support in the development of tourism, with the potential to create social, environmental and economic impacts positive in several sectors”.
The statement recalls that the report “recommends that multilateral and international organizations, as well as financial institutions, provide lines of financing in four priority areas directly related to tourism: climate resilience and nature-positive tourism, social development, creation of new tourism products in local communities and development of shared tourism infrastructure”.
In relation to small businesses, the assessment is that it is necessary to support them in green transitions, “as well as in the adoption of technological advances to improve competitiveness and sustainability”.
“We express our intention to foster innovation and resilience in micro, small and medium-sized companies and destinations, facilitating access to financing and expertise, especially for sustainable and community-focused tourism projects. Investment in micro, small and medium-sized companies is essential to generate local jobs and promote social development.”
Improving professional qualifications is also cited as essential for the sector.
“We emphasize the need for inclusive training opportunities, ensuring that young people, women, people in vulnerable situations, local communities and indigenous peoples, as appropriate, have access to professional development in the tourism sector. Continued investment in human capital will contribute to the sustainable growth of tourism, foster innovation and support the creation of high-quality tourism services globally.”
Another point discussed in Belém was the importance of having reliable data with parameters that can be compared.
“We echo the UN Statistical Commission’s call to the international donor community and countries to support and finance the measurement of tourism and its sustainability, taking into account national circumstances, needs and priorities.”
