Madrid/The 22 countries that make up the Ibero-American community are gathered this year in Cuba to define strategies for the development of rural or community tourism, which is increasingly in demand among its visitors. The International Tourism Fair (Fitur) of Madrid hosted this Thursday in Madrid the presentation of the X Ibero-American Tourism Meeting, which will be held in the west of the Island from September 29 to October 5.
The motto of the event is “For successful community development”, which Cuban entities, such as the Ministry of Tourism, the Agrarian University of Havana and the state-run Ecotur, and the Ibero-American Institute of Rural Tourism (Iberoatur), based in Spain , they claim to promote.
The general secretary of Iberoatur, Juan José Salado, said in the presentation that this year’s challenge is to get all 22 countries to participate, with representatives from sectors such as business, especially entrepreneurs, from public institutions, universities and different associations.
The general director of Ecotur, Raúl Naranjo, explained that the meeting will focus on how to promote agrotourism
For his part, the general director of Ecotur, Raúl Naranjo, explained that the meeting will focus on how to promote agrotourism, the promotion of sustainable rural tourism, the inclusion of local communities, the problem of climate change and the challenge of the commercialization of this type of tourist offer.
Participants will visit different farms in provinces such as Mayabeque, Artemisa and Pinar del Río, the mecca of Cuban tobacco. Rural or community tourism moved some 576 million dollars in 2022, according to data from UN Tourism, an organization that places Latin America and the Caribbean among the regions with the greatest potential for this economic activity that can contribute to sustainable development hand in hand with local communities.
