Le Lézard
Classified in: Tourism and vacations
Subjects: NPT, HSP, SBS

Fellowship from Vidanta Foundation and Wilson Center's Latin American Program Aims to Foster Sustainable Tourism Development


MEXICO CITY, April 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vidanta Foundation and the Wilson Center's Latin American program officially announced a call for application for its residential fellowship on "Fostering Sustainable Tourism Development in Latin America and the Caribbean." The fellowship, which is supported by funding from the Vidanta Foundation, will begin in September 2018. Applicants can address sustainability from a variety of perspectives, including tourism's environmental, social, and local and national impacts. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2018. Full details on the fellowship can be found at https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/fostering-sustainable-tourism-development-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-call-for.

As countries of the region actively embrace tourism as part of a strategy for economic development, nations and local communities face ever greater challenges to reconcile the growth benefits of tourism with current and future social and environmental impacts. The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as "taking full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities." How can the goals of sustainability?involving such issues as land use, impact on watersheds and native flora and fauna, pollution, and waste removal?become part of a strategy that integrates the goals of tourism development with the protection of vulnerable ecosystems and local communities?

The Vidanta/Wilson Center's fellowship was established last year with resounding success. The fellowship is granted annually, with a new theme selected each year. The first year's focus was on innovation in Latin America and its potential impact.

"The future of tourism directly depends on our being good shepherds of the environment," said Iván Chávez, Vice President of the Vidanta Foundation. "Sustainability as a concept is not only good corporate governance, but is also good business practice. The beautiful landscapes and rich heritages of the region will continue to draw visitors from around the world. The need to embrace sustainability as a core philosophy will grow as the industry expands.

"As travel clientele continue to seek out destinations that align with their beliefs as it pertains to sustainability, the region can seek to promote the work it's doing. This fellowship will play a critical role in advancing the conversation," continues Chávez.

Vidanta Foundation President Dr. Roberto Russell said, "The Wilson Center's stature as one of the leading think tanks in the world combined with the reach and impact of its Latin American Program make it an ideal partner to study the important topic of sustainability."

The Vidanta Foundation is a non-profit institution dedicated to promoting the social sciences and democratic values in Latin America, and was founded in 2005 by Mexican philanthropist and entrepreneur Daniel Chávez Morán. As the charitable arm of Grupo Vidanta, Mexico and Latin America's preeminent full-service tourism developer, specializing in vacation destinations, luxury hotel brands, golf courses, real estate, tourism infrastructure and entertainment, the non-profit organization works to promote greater consciousness of key issues in Latin America and the Caribbean including poverty, inequality and discrimination. It seeks to foster humanitarian values and solidarity among the population in general, galvanizing public policy and promoting corporate philanthropy and social responsibility.

The Wilson Center is the nation's key non-partisan policy forum. In tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue, the Center informs actionable ideas for Congress, the administration, and the broader policy community. The Center's Latin American Program, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, links scholarship and public policy in critical areas of governance, security, and inclusive development throughout Latin America.

For more information on the fellowship, including eligibility, benefits and access, length of appointment, selection process, selection criteria and how to apply, please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/fostering-sustainable-tourism-development-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-call-for  

About the Vidanta Foundation

The Vidanta Foundation was established in 2005 by Mexican philanthropist Daniel Chávez Morán, Founder of Grupo Vidanta. The non-profit organization focuses on the social sciences and democratic values within Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting greater consciousness of key issues impacting the region's economic and social development. Under the guidance of current foundation president Roberto Russell, it seeks to foster humanitarian values and solidarity among the population in general, galvanizing public policy while also promoting corporate philanthropy and social responsibility. The Vidanta Foundation has worked with leading organizations in Latin America and around the world on initiatives to encourage growth and public understanding of key issues in the region, including partnerships with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Latin American Council for International Relations, the Inter-American Dialogue, Colegio de México (COLMEX), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) and more. Learn more about the Vidanta Foundation at www.fundacionvidanta.org.

Media Contact:
Edward Yang
Firecracker PR
[email protected] 
1-888-317-4687 ext. 702

SOURCE The Vidanta Foundation


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