Sustainable Destinations Alliance
for the Americas (SDAA)
Honduras: Utila, Bay Islands
Emilio Silvestri Thompson
Minister-Director of the Honduran Institute of Tourism
Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Americas (SDAA)
 Honduras possesses over 90 Natural Protected Areas equivalent to 35.77%
of its national territory.
 The Bay Islands National Marine Park (Roatan- Utila and Guanaja) is one of
the largest marine park in the Americas. Its also one of the country’s main
tourism products and is protected by the following legislation:
• National Ecotourism Strategy 2004
• National Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2005-2021
• Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Tourism Sector 2005
• Creation of the Bay Islands National Marine Park 2010
• National Climate Change Strategy 2010
• Strategy for Tourism in Protected Areas 2013
Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Américas (SDAA)
The SDAA marks the largest-scale effort to date through which public and
private entities have united to focus on destination sustainability in the
Americas.
 Organization of American States,
 Caribbean Tourism Organization,
 Central American Tourism Integration Secretariat,
 Sustainable Travel International(Global NGO)
 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Leading cruise vacation company )
 United States Government through the United States Permanent Mission to
the Organization of American States.
The potential of positioning Honduras as a
destination
that
promotes
tourism
development and economic growth while
conserving their natural and cultural assets
was the main motivation to nominate Roatan
in 2013 and Utila in 2015 as part of the
Sustainable Destination Alliance for the
Americas (SDAA).
Destinations without development guidelines
and management practices would jeopardize
environmental,
social
and
economic
sustainability, therefore compromise cultural
heritage in order to achieve a more rapid
economic growth.
One of the more noticeable outcomes has
been that this process has created
a
platform, The Utila Destination Stewardship
Council (DSC) for discussion, planning and
cooperation between key partners in the tourism
sector.
Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Américas (SDAA)
As a result Roatan and Utila are standing out because they're on a
path of positioning themselves in the tourism market by becoming
certified sustainable destinations with a strong cultural identity and
committed to community involvement.
All of these, while remaining one of the best diving spots due to the
conservation of its coastal and marine ecosystems. (Bay Islands
National Marine Park)
Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Américas (SDAA)
– Upcoming Actions
1. Follow up workshop with the DSC – Sept. 2015 (IHT & CORAL)
2. Include Utila artisans in the OAS-IHT project for reinforcement,
recuperation and promotion of traditional island handcraft and
artistic expressions. Oct. 2015
3. Marine megafauna monitoring Course for local fishermen 2016 (IHT
and MARALLIANCE)
4. Workshop to assist teachers on the implementation of a tourism
chapter in the syllabus for primary school (3rd, 4th and 5th grade.)
2016 (IHT and Ministry of Education)
5. Statistical data collection and reporting methods workshop for the
DSC sub-committees and university students (IHT & CORAL).
Thank you
for your
Attention