Home News & Features TIES, FUNDEMAS Join Forces to Strengthen Ecotourism in El Salvador

TIES, FUNDEMAS Join Forces to Strengthen Ecotourism in El Salvador

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), the world’s largest and oldest ecotourism association dedicated to socially, ecologically and economically responsible travel, is partnering with FUNDEMAS to help further establish and strengthen ecotourism and sustainable tourism in El Salvador.

FUNDEMAS, the Business Foundation for Social Action, is a foundation that promotes sustainable development through socially responsible business practices, entrepreneurial values and philanthropic initiatives. A strong advocate for sustainable tourism development, FUNDEMAS has been a member and collaborating partner of TIES since August 2006.

As an upcoming international and regional tourism destination, El Salvador holds unique cultural and environmental attractions. Partnering with TIES, FUNDEMAS is launching a long-term project to establish a national strategy for the sustainable development of tourism in El Salvador. This partnership is to ensure the implementation of best practices in ecotourism and sustainable tourism strategies.

TIES Will Provide Technical Expertise

As a primary partner in this project, TIES is providing technical assistance in identifying and prioritizing viable strategies for ecotourism development in the country; bringing together various stakeholder groups and decision makers to form partnerships; and providing resources and expertise to help implement a national ecotourism and sustainable tourism approach.

“Over the years, TIES has undertaken a variety of projects in collaboration with other NGOs, international agencies, and government and business leaders from across the world,” says Dr. Kelly Bricker, executive director of TIES. “TIES’ partnership with FUNDEMAS will be an integral part of our outreach activities in the coming years, supporting and strengthening national and regional initiatives in sustainable tourism development and strengthening them by providing links to our international network.”

One of the important first steps in TIES and FUNDEMAS’ ecotourism initiatives in El Salvador is the Ecotourism and Sustainable Development in El Salvador Workshop 2008, to be held in February 2008. The workshop participants will include industry and government leaders, international tourism professionals, community representatives and other national stakeholders from across the country, and will feature national and international expert speakers who will provide technical advice on key policy, development and business issues.

Workshop Preparations Included Site Visits

The workshop content has been identified based on the preparatory site visits conducted by TIES and FUNDEMAS in July 2007, which involved various field visits and stakeholder interviews in the National Departments of Chalatenango, Cuscatlán, Morazán, La Unión, and Usulután.

“In collaboration with FUNDEMAS, we have achieved key goals in the initial stage of this important process of developing ecotourism and sustainable tourism in El Salvador,” says Christina Cavaliere, TIES director of training and education, who is overseeing this development as TIES project manager and expert adviser.

“The Ecotourism and Sustainable Development in El Salvador Workshop 2008,” adds Cavaliere, “will play a crucial role in integrating the principles of sustainability into the future tourism development in El Salvador by educating business leaders, policy makers and community stakeholders, and by creating a national network of ecotourism and sustainable tourism stakeholders.”

“This alliance between TIES and FUNDEMAS is a solid foundation to build a network of responsible institutions and companies that, in the field of tourism, contribute to the comprehensive development of El Salvador,” says Roberto Murray, president of FUNDEMAS. “Furthermore, the experience of TIES will give us the ability to replicate best practices of ecotourism in the national territory.”

For more information on TIES and FUNDEMAS, go to www.ecotourism.org or www.fundemas.org.

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