In recent years, the tourism sector has risen as a pivotal force in economic and social advancement, catalyzing exports, attracting foreign investments, and fostering cultural exchanges. It stands out as a fundamental pillar for sustainable development globally, especially in low and middle-income nations. The sector's profound impact on socioeconomic dynamics is magnified by … [Read more...] about Closing the Gender Gap: The Role of Tourism Towards Equality
Olga Gomez Garcia
Olga Gomez Garcia is a development economist specializing in the travel and tourism sector. She currently works as an Operations Lead Specialist for the Tourism Sector at the Inter-American Development Bank. Olga is the tourism focal point for several Central American and Caribbean countries. She coordinates the tourism sector policy dialogue and leads the sustainable tourism development policy, investment, and research projects for the countries assigned. Olga has a Master in Business Administration specializing in the tourism sector from Cornell University (Ithaca, USA) and ESSEC Business School (Paris, France) and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management from Carlos III University (Madrid, Spain). Olga has been working at the IDB since 2008. Previously, she worked as an economic and tourism sector advisor for several years for the Spanish Parliament; and as a technical director for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in various tourism development projects. Olga has also worked for several private sector companies, such as Mazars Tourism, Procter and Gamble, Groupe Le Duff, Pizza Hut, Olara Música, and Ferrovial. Olga taught Tourism Economics, Business Management, Corporate Strategy and Strategic Marketing at Universidad Antonio de Nebrija (Madrid, Spain) at their Master and undergraduate tourism programs and Tourism Governance and Destination Management at the Spanish National Public Administration Institute.
Has the Region’s Tourism Sector Already Overcome the Pandemic’s Impact?
About three and a half years ago, the world stopped. An almost unknown threat made us drastically change our way of living. Without wanting to delve into what that stage entailed regarding human pain and mental and physical challenges for the population, I would like to start a series of blogs about the structural change that the pandemic brought to the tourism … [Read more...] about Has the Region’s Tourism Sector Already Overcome the Pandemic’s Impact?
Five Good Reasons Why Latin American and Caribbean Governments Should Prioritize Tourism in Their Development Agendas
In 2017, tourism generated more than 10% of global GDP, 1 in 10 jobs, 6.5% of total exports and 4.5% of total investment. That same year, Latin America and the Caribbean received more than 114 million international visitors. However, the market share of LAC worldwide remains low, similar to the level ten years ago (around 8%). Given the region´s tourism potential, and the … [Read more...] about Five Good Reasons Why Latin American and Caribbean Governments Should Prioritize Tourism in Their Development Agendas