Yuluca Alliance

Moving forward Sustainable Tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Yuluca Alliance was officially launched in September 2024, following the successful First GSTC Latin American and Caribbean Summit, which took place in Santa Marta, Colombia, last May 2024. This initiative, encouraged by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), is a collaborative effort of the nations that participated in the summit, united under the shared vision of promoting sustainable tourism practices across the region.

The Yuluca Alliance, named after the indigenous word “Yuluca” from the Kogui community of the Sierra Nevada mountains of Colombia, symbolizes unity and the connection between humanity and nature and reflects the collective strength and cultural diversity of the participating countries. This alliance marks a significant step forward in addressing sustainable tourism’s unique challenges and opportunities within Latin America and the Caribbean. The Alliance is spearheaded by an Executive Committee comprising representatives from the region’s nations, all of whom are committed to working together as a unified continent.

AYLAC’s Goal and Development

The Yuluca Alliance’s goal is to address the challenges of tourism and define actions on specific priority issues, to enhance sustainability in the region and create a common agenda in line with the 2030 Agenda. With that in mind, three main groups were established:

• Executive Committee (Group A)  – Formed by tourism authorities of Latin America & the Caribbean
• Representatives from the Development Committee (Group B) – Formed by volunteers with extensive experience in the tourism industry
• Development Committee (Group C) – Professionals in the tourism industry

Group C is divided into three subgroups that focus on different themes:

Subcommittee 1 – The Tourism, Conservation, and Climate Change group focuses on the development of sustainable tourism that conserves ecosystems, mitigates climate change and promotes environmental adaptation.

Subcommittee 2 – The Hosts: Local Communities and Tourism Service Providers group focuses on developing cooperation to strengthen sustainable tourism, support communities and promote responsible practices among service providers.

Subcommittee 3 – The Purposeful Travel: Lessons Learned group focuses on developing experiences and learning about how travel can have a positive impact through community engagement, combining sustainability, education and purpose.

If you wish to be part of the Alliance, kindly contact jorge@gstcouncil.org.

Representatives from the Development Committee (Group B)