UN Tourism Seminar at Universidad Siglo 21

Explore UN Tourism with US21

On November 26 and 27, Córdoba hosted the 2nd International Seminar on Tourism Law, organized by UN Tourism in collaboration with Universidad Siglo 21 and Agencia Córdoba Turismo. The event brought together leading national and international experts to discuss how tourism can serve as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development, and social and environmental sustainability, highlighting the important role that law plays in these areas.

On this occasion, Córdoba hosted the 2nd Seminar led by UN Tourism, the specialized agency of the United Nations in charge of promoting responsible, sustainable, and accessible tourism for all. This event aimed to enhance the capacity of actors in the sector to incorporate sustainability and accessibility into tourism legislation and practices.

Dario Capitani, President of Agencia Córdoba Turismo; María Belén Mendé, Vice President of the Fundación Universidad Siglo 21; Dr Eduardo Bittar, President of the Córdoba Bar Association; Daniel Passerini, Mayor of the City of Córdoba; and Gustavo Santos, Regional Director for the Americas of UN Tourism, opened the event.

“From the experience of the pandemic, we discovered that we needed to generate global tools for Tourism. This gave rise to the International Code for the Protection of Tourists, the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean, and this space where many of you, attending today from different countries worldwide, have worked. We are convinced that we need a global response to future global problems, that the Law must be able to keep pace with humanity's increasingly rapid and dynamic evolution, and that we face the collective challenge of integration to understand ourselves as an ecosystem,” said Gustavo Santos.

The need for a comprehensive legal framework

During the Seminar, the growing recognition of sustainable, inclusive and accessible tourism in the policies of various countries was highlighted, as well as the limitations of current regulations that tend to address sustainability in a fragmented manner. The panels emphasized the need for a comprehensive legal framework that considers environmental, economic and social aspects, guaranteeing sustainable, long-term tourism development.

The participants included representatives of organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, UNESCO, the ONCE Foundation, delegations from the Americas, Europe, and Africa, academic experts, representatives of the private sector, and local authorities.

During the two days of the Seminar, topics such as universal accessibility, good practices and legislation on sustainable tourism in the Americas, care for the environment, and the preservation of cultural and natural heritage were addressed. Success stories, such as those of Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Peru, were also presented by tourism authorities in each country. Likewise, a high-level multilateral panel analysed the pioneering and reference role of international organizations such as the United Nations, UNESCO and UN Tourism in developing and harmonising norms and standards on the subject.

Gustavo Santos, Juan Carlos Rabbat, President and Founder of Universidad Siglo 21, and Alicia Gómez, Director of the Office of Legal Affairs and International Standards of UN Tourism, gave the final remarks at the seminar's closing ceremony.

With its second edition, this event has consolidated itself as a platform for meeting and exchanging valuable insights and for promoting the recognition of Tourism Law as a legal discipline in its own right. In this regard, the round-table discussions and panels of the event demonstrated the commitment of UN Tourism, Universidad Siglo 21, and Agencia Córdoba Turismo to promote positive changes that generate impact in the sector, with a focus on collaboration between the public and private sectors and academia.