The Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the Americas (SDAA) recently launched to support Caribbean and Latin America cities in their sustainability efforts. The SDAA is made up of the Organisation of American States Caribbean Tourism Organisation, NGO Sustainable Travel International, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and the US government. The SDAA is currently offering support to 7 cities in the region but hopes to expand to 30 destinations in the next few years. Working together with the alliance, these cities will hopefully be better equipped to evaluate, prioritise, and implement sustainability practices.
I think in general, alliances and partnerships are a great way for organisations with similar goals to collaborate and come up with solutions together. It makes sense that Royal Caribbean Cruises joined the SDAA because the health of the Caribbean and Latin America is directly related to its business model. Its profit structure cannot be sustainable unless the major tourism destinations in the region are sustainable as well. I think it’s great that private organisations are able to work with NGOs and governments to come up with solutions. Interestingly, some Caribbean countries are already embracing sustainability. Aruba, for example, is developing clean energy initiatives and aims to be energy-independent by 2020.
Perhaps the SDAA will be less useful for countries like Aruba who are already proactive about sustainability. However, many countries in the region may not place as much importance on sustainability or lack the infrastructure to do so. These countries will be the ones that benefit the most from the SDAA. It is too early to say how effective the SDAA will be but I think its formation is definitely a step in the right direction.
Quite intriguing, thank you!