In the Declaration of Principles from the First Summit of the Americas, held in Miami, the Heads of State and Government recognized the importance of tourism for the economies of the region.  At the same time, they highlighted the added value in the efforts to promote understanding among the peoples of the Americas and committed to adopting initiatives that would stimulate activities related to tourism in the Hemisphere.

Following the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development, held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia in December 1996, the OAS General Assembly instructed the Secretary General and the Inter-Sectoral Tourism Office to prepare the Inter-American Program for the Sustainable Development of Tourism, which was approved in 1998 as part of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development (1997-2001).

The activities mentioned in the Program include: support for and promotion of a ministerial dialogue; the formulation of policies; the exchange of experiences and information among regional organizations; and cooperation in the development of activities.

The OAS has collaborated with certain Member States including Guyana, Saint Lucia, Panama, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in their design and implementation of national plans for integral development.  The OAS has also participated in the design of specific programs for countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, and Haiti.  As for regional initiatives, the Organization participated in the Caribbean Heritage Tourism Program and the Secretariat of Tourism of the Central American Integration System.

In the same way, the OAS has initiated the Program for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism in the Caribbean (PCSTC), as well as the design, development, and preparation of a proposal to provide assistance to small hotels in Central America.  In this manner, they strengthen the sector and create an understanding of the economic importance of tourism and its social and environmental impact. 

On the other hand, the OAS has maintained a permanent dialogue with the Ministers of Tourism in the Caribbean through the meetings of the Executive Board of Caribbean Tourism Organization and with the Association of Caribbean Hotels, to develop programs advanced by the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank, such as Health Standards for the Hotel Industry and Development of Human Resources. 

At the same time, since 1997 the OAS has directed all their efforts towards guaranteeing the success of the First Ministerial Meeting of Tourism of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) and the XVIII Inter-American Congress for Tourism to be held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in September 24-26, 2002.  As a part of this effort, they held the symposium “Sustainable Development of Tourism and the Challenges of Globalization” in Punta del Este, Uruguay in November 2000. 

In the CIDI’s First Ministerial Meeting of Tourism and the XVIII Inter-American Congress for Tourism ministers will formulate hemispheric policies on tourism, and they will consider issues such as tourist security and joint training programs of public and private agents.