<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Colombian town of Santa Marta will host the second edition of the Ibero-American Tourism Forum on May 14 and 15. This is the most important event for the public and private sectors in the region. Its main topics will include impact tourism, local communities, employability, sustainability, technology, and social innovation.</strong></h4> The forum was sponsored by the Ibero-American Business Council (CEIB), the Ibero-American Federation of Young Entrepreneurs (FIJE), PROCOLOMBIA, and UN Tourism. It will be held under the theme "From Social Innovation to Sustainable Competitiveness: The Path to Change." The event also has the support of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the International Organization of Employers (IOE), ICEX Spain Export and Investment, and the Colombian Hotel and Tourism Association (COTELCO). It also has the support of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Iberia, the Mayor's Office of Santa Marta, BBVA, MAWDY, the Tenerife Island Council, and Hilton, among other entities and companies, whose top executives will actively participate in both days of the Forum. In addition, several internationally renowned companies and institutions have joined this forum, which will also coincide with the 7th Meeting of the Colombian Caribbean Tourism Chain 2025, organized by COTELCO, and with the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the city of Santa Marta. The event, which will bring together representatives of institutions, investment and cooperation agencies, academia, local communities, entrepreneurs, and experts from across Latin America, will focus on the transformation and improvement of the tourism sector in the region, including topics such as the potential of impact tourism to empower communities and preserve heritage, according to the organizers. It will also address youth employability and training, "an urgent challenge in the sector"; the promotion of public-private partnerships to drive sustainable investment; the role of social innovation and technology for smart tourism; and the importance of digitalization, connectivity, and logistics in tourism. "The Tourism Forum is also one of our major lines of work and an official activity of the Ibero-American Business Meeting which, along with other forums such as MSMEs, Digitalization, and Open Innovation, contributes to providing content for the Ibero-American Summits, this time to be held in Madrid in 2026," the press release adds.
