Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the Americas (SDAA)

Honduras: Utila, Bay Islands

Emilio Silvestri ThompsonMinister-Director of the Honduran Institute of Tourism

Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Americas (SDAA)

Honduras possesses over 90 Natural Protected Areas equivalent to 35.77% of its national territory.

The Bay Islands National Marine Park (Roatan- Utila and Guanaja) is one of the largest marine park in the Americas. Its also one of the country’s main tourism products and is protected by the following legislation:

• National Ecotourism Strategy 2004• National Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2005-2021• Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Tourism Sector 2005• Creation of the Bay Islands National Marine Park 2010• National Climate Change Strategy 2010• Strategy for Tourism in Protected Areas 2013

Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Américas (SDAA)

The SDAA marks the largest-scale effort to date through which public and private entities have united to focus on destination sustainability in the Americas.

Organization of American States,

Caribbean Tourism Organization,

Central American Tourism Integration Secretariat,

Sustainable Travel International(Global NGO)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Leading cruise vacation company )

United States Government through the United States Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States.

The potential of positioning Honduras as a destination that promotes tourism development and economic growth while conserving their natural and cultural assets was the main motivation to nominate Roatan in 2013 and Utila in 2015 as part of the Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Americas (SDAA).

Destinations without development guidelines and management practices would jeopardize environmental, social and economic sustainability, therefore compromise cultural heritage in order to achieve a more rapid economic growth.

One of the more noticeable outcomes has been that this process has created a platform, The Utila Destination Stewardship Council (DSC) for discussion, planning and cooperation between key partners in the tourism sector.

As a result Roatan and Utila are standing out because they're on a path of positioning themselves in the tourism market by becoming certified sustainable destinations with a strong cultural identity and committed to community involvement.

All of these, while remaining one of the best diving spots due to the conservation of its coastal and marine ecosystems. (Bay Islands National Marine Park)

Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Américas (SDAA)

1. Follow up workshop with the DSC – Sept. 2015 (IHT & CORAL)

2. Include Utila artisans in the OAS-IHT project for reinforcement, recuperation and promotion of traditional island handcraft and artistic expressions. Oct. 2015

3. Marine megafauna monitoring Course for local fishermen 2016 (IHT and MARALLIANCE)

4. Workshop to assist teachers on the implementation of a tourism chapter in the syllabus for primary school (3rd, 4th and 5th grade.) 2016 (IHT and Ministry of Education)

5. Statistical data collection and reporting methods workshop for the DSC sub-committees and university students (IHT & CORAL).

Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Américas (SDAA) – Upcoming Actions

Thank you for your Attention