OEA - CIDI - Resolución CIDI CITUR GT 1 doc 2

INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON TOURISM OEA/Ser.W/XIII.8

CIDI/CITUR/GT-1/doc.2/26

Working Group on Promoting Tourism in 27 February 2026 Indigenous Communities by Celebrating Original: Spanish and Preserving Cultural and Natural Heritage December 10, 2025

VIRTUAL

REPORT ON THE VIRTUAL MEETING

1. INTRODUCTION This document contains the Report on the Virtual Meeting of Working Group 1 on “Promoting Tourism in Indigenous Communities by Celebrating and Preserving Cultural and Natural Heritage” of the Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR), held on December 10, 2025.

2. BACKGROUND The virtual meeting was convened to define actions, assign responsibilities, and establish dates for completion of the activities set out in the 2025-2028 work plan of CITUR

3. PARTICIPANTS The following delegations took part in the meeting:

Paraguay Angelita Duarte de Melillo Minister of Tourism of Paraguay Chair of CITUR Rosa Sanabria Director of International and Institutional Relations

SENATUR

Javier Ramirez

SENATUR

Maricarmen Couchonnal

SENATUR

Andres Ortiz

SENATUR2

Lara Chamorro

SENATUR

Costa Rica Alberto López General Manager, Instituto Costarricense de Turismo Vice Chair of CITUR Honduras Tatiana Siercke de Zelaya International Relations Manager, Instituto Hondureño de Turismo Vice Chair of CITUR Juan Carlos Montoya Alternate Representative of Honduras to the OAS Guatemala Harris Whitbeck General Director, Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo (INGUAT) Chair of the Working Group Verónica Sajbin Velásquez, Technical Advisor on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, INGUAT

Paola Rosenberg Advisor, INGUAT Rosa Maria Salguero Alternate Representative of Guatemala to the OAS Ecuador Mateo Estrella Vice Minister of Tourism Vice Chair of the Working Group Carlos Tapia Vice Ministry of Tourism Mónica Sánchez Alternate Representative of Ecuador to the OAS Panama Daisy Trujillo Bonaga National Tourism Authority of Panama Vice Chair of the Working Group Andrea Nuñez Alternate Representative of Panama to the OAS3 Argentina Johana Giampietro Director of International and Institutional Tourism Relations Secretariat of Tourism and Environment of Argentina Georgina Visintín Secretariat of Tourism and Environment of Argentina Bolivia Rocio Azurduy Alternate Representative of Bolivia to the OAS Chile Maria Casals Undersecretariat of Tourism Pamela Muñoz Undersecretariat of Tourism Mexico Vanessa Cuevas Assistant Manager of Company Administration SECTUR Socorro Guadalupe Jorge Cholula Alternate Representative of Mexico to the OAS Jamaica Cristina Edwards Director – Tourism Trade and International Relations Ministry of Tourism Peru Diego Miranda Directorate of Facilitation and Tourism Culture Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism Roberto Arámbulo Directorate of Facilitation and Tourism Culture Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism Kelva Morales, Alternate Representative of Peru to the OAS Dominican Republic Madelin Luna Alternate Representative of the Dominican Republic to the OAS4 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Marsena Ballantyne Alternate Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the OAS Uruguay Carmen Gonzalez Alternate Representative of Uruguay to the OAS Special guests Inter-American Development Bank Tenisha Brown-Williams Senior Tourism Specialist

FEDESUD

Maximiliano Mauvecin

Argentina Ana Paula CETUR, Brazil Marco Mercado CABOTUR, Bolivia Jaime Guazzini Chile George Washington University Edward Hall GW International Institute of Tourism Studies Executive in Residence for Indigenous Economic Development and Tourism Alix Collins Center Administrator International Institute of Tourism Studies The George Washington University School of Business

UNESCO

Alexander Langlois Alliances Coordinator UNESCO Regional Office for Central America, Mexico and Colombia (San José) OAS General Secretariat Barbara Kotschwar Director, Department of Economic Development5 Richard Campbell Head of the Culture and Tourism Section, Department of Economic Development Santiago Noboa Specialist, Culture and Tourism Section, Department of Economic Development6 OPENING SESSION Richard Campbell, Head of the Culture and Tourism Section, opened the meetings and welcomed the participants. Remarks by the Chair of CITUR Mrs. Angelita Duarte de Melillo, Minister of Tourism of Paraguay, welcomed the participants and shared her vision of the meetings and expected results. Remarks by the OAS General Secretariat Mrs. Barbara Kotschwar, Director of the Department of Economic Development of the OAS General Secretariat, reported on the objectives of the working groups and the topics to be considered at the meetings. PROCEEDINGS Mr. Harris Whitbeck, Director General of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT), presided over the meeting as Chair of the Working Group and welcomed the participants. The meeting agenda was adopted. The meeting proceeded to elect Panama as Vice Chair of the Working Group. The delegation of Panama expressed its appreciation for the election and indicated its commitment to the work of the group. Mr. Whitbeck shared his appreciation for the Group's Work Plan before entrusting stewardship of the meeting to Ms. Veronica Sajbin, Technical Advisor on Indigenous Peoples' Rights of INGUAT. Ms. Sajbin delivered a presentation on the roadmap for the Group’s activities (presentation

attached). Among the activities highlighted was the organization of a Regional Meeting of the Indigenous Tourism Dialogue, planned for the first quarter of 2027 in Guatemala. The delegations then shared their comments. The delegation of Chile reiterated its commitment to the Working Group and made available a virtual training course. FEDESUD described some of the activities being developed, including the development of multidestination programs and the strengthening of the presence of South America as a destination in long-distance markets. The delegation of Peru requested additional information on the development of a road map. The delegation of Guatemala undertook to share the presentation and to incorporate the comments of the delegations.7 CLOSING SESSION The Minister of Paraguay closed the discussions of the First Working Group and opened the discussions of the Second Working Group.