Around 60 participants gathered at CafecISTO Americas to highlight regional research and prepare for Montreal 2026.

On 9 June, the Americas section of the International Social Tourism Organisation (ISTO) held a new edition of CafecISTO Americas, a virtual meeting hosted by Verónica Gómez, ISTO’s Director of ISTO Americas, which brought together around 60 participants, including members, partners and friends of the organisation, mainly from the Americas, but also from Europe and Africa.

Held as part of the 7th International Week of Fair and Sustainable Tourism for All, the webinar featured two key highlights: the official presentation of the collection of academic papers from the Encuentro de las Américas de Turismo Social 2025 and the launch of the commemorative activities marking the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Declaration “Towards a humanist, social vision of tourism”.

An academic legacy that continues to grow

Held from 23 to 27 June 2025 in Florianópolis (Brazil), the Encuentro de las Américas de Turismo Social, organised by ISTO Americas, with the support of the Serviço Social do Comércio de Santa Catarina and the Serviço Social do Comércio – Departamento Nacional (SESC DN), provided a forum for dialogue between researchers, professionals and organisations committed to more inclusive, accessible and sustainable tourism.

The publication presented during CafecISTO brings together 32 academic papers selected by the Meeting’s Scientific Committee. The research and experiences shared address topics as diverse as community-based tourism, indigenous peoples, social sustainability, public tourism policies, accessibility, inclusion, tourism education and human rights, reflecting the richness and diversity of approaches that today fuel the social tourism movement in the Americas.

During CafecISTO Americas, the papers recognised by the Scientific Committee were also highlighted once again:

• Palavra líquida: Cartografias afetivas e Turismo Social na zona norte do rio de janeiro - Authors: Renata Costa Pellegrino, Júlia de Menezes Machado, Moisés Nascimento y Mayra Beatriz Silva
• Pisando com consciência: Caminhadas ecológicas como ferramenta educativa para o Turismo Social responsável - Authors: Andreza de Oliveira Ribeiro y Paulo Roberto Alves Falk
• A prática do Turismo Social em Brasília/DF Uma visão dos Guias de Turismo sobre o Explorando a Capital (SESC-DF) e o City Tour Cívico (Brasília Receptivo) - Authors: João Pedro Ribeiro y Tathiana de Alcantara Macedo Daou

The Americas section of ISTO expressed its special thanks for the contribution made by the members of the Scientific Committee, coordinated by Professor Angela Teberga de Paula, of the Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brazil, who addressed a message to the participants as well as to the other professors and associated researchers:

• Adriana Islas Rodríguez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
• Erica Schenkel, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Argentina
• Fabiana Calçada de Lamare Leite, Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC), Brasil
• Fernando Goulart Rocha, Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC), Brazil
• Marcelo Vilela de Almeida, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
• Marinês da Conceição Walkowski, Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC), Brazil
• Rigoberto García-Contreras, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
• Salete Valer, Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina (IFSC), Brazil
• Thaise Costa Guzzatti, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil
• Yorleny Fontana Coto, Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED), Costa Rica

The Organising Committee was composed of:

• Anna Luiza Pillar Corrêa, Serviço Social do Comércio - SESC/SC
• Vanine Fetter, Serviço Social do Comércio - SESC/SC
• Verónica Gómez, International Social Tourism Organisation – Americas (ISTO Americas)

The complete collection of papers is available in Spanish and Portuguese at the following link: https://www.even3.com.br/anais/encuentro-de-las-americas-2025/

Towards Montreal 2026

The second major theme of CafecISTO was the preliminary presentation of the commemorative activities marking the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Declaration, a document adopted in 1996 and regarded as one of the key international references for the promotion of tourism with a humanistic and social focus.

The celebration will take place on 29 and 30 October 2026 in Montreal, Canada. The first day will be dedicated to reflecting on the legacy of the Declaration and the challenges facing tourism in the coming decades, bringing together representatives from academia, social organisations, public institutions and stakeholders from the tourism sector across different regions of the world.

The second day will take place as part of the 36th edition of the Salon International Tourisme Voyages (SITV), offering participants the opportunity to discover inspiring experiences in Quebec, strengthen ties with the ISTO’s international network and continue the dialogue on the future of a more inclusive, accessible and sustainable tourism.

The ISTO network: a space for meeting, reflection and action

The meeting concluded with a session dedicated to presenting the upcoming activities being organised by ISTO partners in the Americas. This agenda highlighted initiatives related to social, accessible and sustainable tourism that will take place in the coming months in various countries across the region, reaffirming the network’s dynamism and the many opportunities for collaboration, learning and exchange among its members.

With this dual focus—valuing collectively built knowledge and preparing for the challenges of the future—CafecISTO Americas reaffirmed the network’s role as a space for meeting, reflection and action for those who believe in tourism as a tool for inclusion, well-being and social transformation.

For further details and to prepare for your participation in Montreal, please contact: vgomez@isto.international