The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched a new Tourism Task Force during the Plenary Meeting of the Americas Business Dialogue (ABD). The meetings were held in Santo Domingo.
The ABD is a private sector-led initiative facilitated by the IDB that promotes high-level dialogue between governments and the private sector in the region to advance development-focused policies. This strategic partnership between the IDB and WTTC outlines a roadmap to shape public policy recommendations, mobilize investment, and scale solutions that benefit communities and tourism destinations.
The Tourism Task Force initially gathers 22 companies, including Marriott International, Copa Airlines, Grupo Aviatur, The Leading Hotels of the World, Anato Colombia, Carnival Cruise Line, COHEP, and Grupo PuntaCana, among others.
The Task Force will convene throughout 2025 to shape policy recommendations and investment strategies. The private sector-generated public policy proposals will be presented at the CEO Summit of the Americas in Punta Cana scheduled for 3-4 December 2025, offering a blueprint for regional collaboration in tourism.
The ABD plenary session featured speakers including César Dargam, Executive Vice President of the National Business Council (Conep); Tomás Bermúdez, general manager of the IDB’s Regional Country Department for Central America, Haiti, Mexico, Panama and the Dominican Republic; Fabrizio Opertti, manager of the IDB’s Sector of Productivity, Trade and Innovation; Christopher Imbsen, vice president of Policy at WTTC; and Katharina Falkner-Olmedo, IDB Country Representative in the Dominican Republic, among others.
According to WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Research (EIR), the tourism sector contributed US$714 billion to the region’s GDP in 2024, accounting for 10% of the region’s total GDP. The sector also generated over 28 million jobs or one in every 11 jobs in the region. Yet its potential extends these figures: tourism can energize value chains across gastronomy, logistics, technology, creative industries, and financial services, while also advancing inclusion, digitalization, and territorial development.
International visitor spending reached US$144.4 billion last year, providing a vital source of export income for many national economies.
Christopher Imbsen, WTTC VP Policy, said: “Travel & Tourism is one of the most powerful levers for inclusive economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean.
He stated: “The region has a generational opportunity to put travel and tourism at the center of their development agenda. With the ABD Task Force now in place, we can drive smarter investment, unlock growth, and deliver jobs and opportunity at scale.”
Fabrizio Opertti, IDB Sector Manager of Productivity, Trade, and Innovation, said: “This launch marks a milestone in the integration of tourism into the productive agenda of the IDB and IDB Invest, recognizing its transformative potential for the region. In collaboration with our private sector partners and WTTC, we are working to deliver concrete results: more investment, jobs, and regional growth.”
Looking ahead, the next decade offers unprecedented opportunity. By 2035, the travel and tourism sector could contribute US$944.8 billion to the regional economy and support more than 35.4 million jobs. Compared to 2025, this would represent an additional US$206 billion in economic value and 6 million new jobs, reflecting the sector’s unique ability to scale inclusive and sustainable growth.
3 June 2025