Friday, June 6, 2025

The LATA Expo Sustainability Summit 2025, held in June, brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of sustainable tourism in Latin America. The summit emphasized the importance of collaboration among stakeholders and the need for standardized data to drive meaningful change.

Costa Rica’s approach to destination management was highlighted as a model for collaborative planning. The Costa Rica Tourism Board has established 33 development centers across the country, working closely with local communities to create five-year plans that focus on social programs, infrastructure, and tourism growth. These plans ensure that tourism development aligns with community needs and values.

The use of wellbeing indicators was also discussed. Costa Rica employs a framework of 12 social and environmental indicators to measure the impact of tourism on communities. A detailed questionnaire distributed across 478 districts gathers insights from over 22,000 people, providing valuable data to inform policy and decision-making.

The summit underscored the necessity of multi-stakeholder collaboration—including governments, the private sector, and NGOs—to ensure sustainable and effective tourism strategies. Participants emphasized that overcoming the “someone else’s problem” mindset is crucial for achieving collective sustainability goals.

Businesses in the tourism sector are increasingly taking active roles in conservation efforts. In Chile and Easter Island, companies are managing conservation areas, engaging in reforestation projects, and collaborating with national authorities to protect the environment. These initiatives demonstrate the private sector’s commitment to preserving natural resources and supporting sustainable tourism practices.

The summit highlighted that young professionals are increasingly seeking employers who are mission-aligned and socially responsible. Tourism businesses with a clear purpose and commitment to sustainability are more likely to attract and retain talent, fostering a workforce dedicated to advancing responsible tourism.

Conservation NGOs, such as the Galápagos Conservation Trust, emphasized that successful conservation requires combining scientific expertise with local community input. Developing implementable and accepted solutions involves engaging communities in conservation efforts, ensuring that initiatives are culturally appropriate and supported by local stakeholders.

The summit discussed the role of tourists as active participants in sustainability. Proper education and messaging before, during, and after their trips can transform tourists into allies for conservation and cultural respect. Encouraging responsible behavior and awareness can amplify the positive impact of tourism on destinations.

A significant portion of the summit focused on the challenges and opportunities related to sustainability data in tourism. Tourism companies face increasing demands for sustainability data from various stakeholders. However, overlapping and inconsistent data requests create inefficiencies and confusion, making it difficult to derive meaningful insights.

The purpose of data collection varies widely among organizations, including internal benchmarking, compliance, certifications, partnerships, marketing, and reporting. This lack of standardization leads to fragmented efforts and challenges in comparing and aggregating data across the industry.

Operators like Exodus Travels and Explore Worldwide work closely with Destination Management Companies (DMCs) and suppliers to ensure that data collection is meaningful. Efforts include offering benchmarking feedback and aligning data requests with supplier capabilities, fostering a collaborative approach to sustainability measurement.

Upcoming regulations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in Europe, are prompting companies to prepare for mandatory disclosures. While uncertainty remains about timelines and exact requirements, these regulations are driving the industry toward greater transparency and accountability in sustainability practices.

Companies like Explore Worldwide utilize data to track emissions and progress toward net-zero targets. By measuring emissions from operations, transport, meals, and accommodations, businesses can identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to reduce their carbon footprint.

Small-scale accommodations often lack the time, tools, or motivation to collect sustainability data. Challenges include limited staff capacity, poor access to utility data, and overlapping survey requests from multiple clients. Addressing these barriers is essential for enabling all sectors of the tourism industry to participate in sustainability efforts.

Data requests are often developed with a Western, top-down mindset and don’t consider local realities or priorities. This leads to poor engagement and irrelevant metrics for many local businesses. Developing data collection frameworks that are contextually appropriate and inclusive is crucial for effective sustainability measurement.

Data alone isn’t enough. For it to build trust and inspire action, it must be part of a narrative that connects businesses, travelers, and communities. Data should inform storytelling and reinforce transparency, demonstrating the tangible benefits of sustainability efforts.

Travelyst, a sustainability data hub backed by major companies like Google and Booking.com, works to standardize and distribute data at scale. Starting with aviation and now moving into accommodations, Travelyst aims to create a unified approach to sustainability data, facilitating collaboration and informed decision-making across the industry.

All panelists agreed that perfection is not the goal; progress and collaboration are. Standardizing data requests, aligning goals, and being transparent are crucial steps to making tourism more sustainable. The summit underscored that collective action and shared responsibility are essential for achieving long-term sustainability in tourism.

The LATA Expo Sustainability Summit 2025 highlighted the critical importance of collaboration and data standardization in advancing sustainable tourism practices in Latin America. By fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, and communities, and by developing consistent and meaningful data frameworks, the industry can move toward a more sustainable and equitable future.