The recently concluded 26th UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh has taken a major step toward strengthening cooperation between Africa and the Americas with a proposal to institutionalize the UN Tourism Africa & Americas Summit (CAF-CAM) as a permanent biennial event on the organisation’s official calendar.
The proposal, tabled by the Dominican Republic, seeks to formalize the CAF-CAM Summit as a high-level mechanism for political dialogue and structured collaboration between tourism authorities across the two regions. It also calls for the creation of a South-South Cooperation Mechanism, headquartered at the UN Tourism offices in Madrid, to ensure the effective follow-up of commitments and implementation of joint initiatives.
According to the document presented at the Assembly, the move aims to build on the momentum of the Punta Cana Declaration (2024) and the Livingstone Summit (2025), both of which underscored the need for a structured framework to transform tourism into a strategic tool for sustainable development across the Global South.
Carlos Peguero, Vice Minister of Dominican Republic
The proposed Mechanism will be responsible for coordinating successive editions of the CAF-CAM Summit, managing a bi-regional marketplace for technical cooperation, facilitating agreements and promoting knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships among public and private sector actors, academia and civil society.
In recognition of its pioneering role in conceptualising and championing the platform, the Dominican Republic has been recommended as Honorary Founder of the CAF-CAM Summit, ensuring strategic continuity and political commitment to tourism integration between Africa and the Americas.
Once adopted, the CAF-CAM Summit will serve as an official biennial event, alternating between Africa and the Americas, to provide a space for ministers, policymakers and industry leaders to assess progress, discuss emerging challenges and align strategies for sustainable tourism growth.
The proposal envisions a rotating presidency every two years between the two regions to maintain balance and shared responsibility. The accompanying South-South Cooperation Mechanism will coordinate logistics, technical support and policy alignment, as well as mobilize resources and strengthen institutional capacities in both regions.
Key focus areas under the initiative include investment promotion, human capital development, digital transformation, sustainable tourism and cultural exchange. It also proposes the creation of an Africa–Americas Investment Promotion Platform, designed to encourage cross-continental tourism investment flows and partnerships based on the UN Tourism “Doing Business Guidelines” framework.
Further, the proposal promotes workforce development and digital skills through cross-regional training, scholarships under the UN Tourism Online Academy, and entrepreneurship mentorship programmes for tourism innovators.
The initiative also aims to consolidate joint technical cooperation projects in areas such as connectivity, visa facilitation, smart destinations and social inclusion—issues highlighted as priorities during the previous summits.
With the third CAF-CAM Summit scheduled to take place in Brazil in 2026, the proposal represents a clear commitment to deepening bi-regional cooperation. If adopted, it would mark a historic milestone in the institutional evolution of UN Tourism’s efforts to advance inclusive, resilient and innovative tourism across the Global South.
Ultimately, the institutionalization of the CAF-CAM Summit is expected to position Africa and the Americas as strategic partners in transforming tourism into a key driver of sustainable development, innovation and shared prosperity for both regions.
