Regional CafecISTOs hit the stage again.

November brought the 2021 regional CafecISTOs to a close by organising an event for each of the regional sections: Africa, Europe and the Americas.

The International Social Tourism Organisation (ISTO) seeks to spread among its members and partners good practices, experiences and knowledge that promote the development of fair and sustainable tourism for all. This is why CafecISTOS provide a space for meetings and exchanges. This month, two CafecISTO days were held: on 17 November the events for CafecISTO Africa and Europe were held, and on 24 November for the Americas.

CafecISTO Africa was about promoting women’s empowerment through tourism in Africa. In the webinar were present two speakers Ewoenam Afua Afenyo-Agbe from Ghana and Jacqueline Ondo from Cameroon. The first presentation was a theoretical presentation, as Ewoenam is a lecturer at Cape Coast University. While the second presentation was practical, as Jacqueline founded the Association AFRECAM (Alliance des Femmes de la Réserve de Campo-Ma’an) and explained how it helped to empower women.

Screenshot of one of the CafecISTO Africa presentations.

Participants of CafecISTO Africa.

Meanwhile, CafecISTO Europe addressed the topic of senior tourism. The speakers represented the Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales (Imserso), Agence Nationale pour les Chèques-Vacances (ANCV) and ISTO’s Alliance for Training and Research. Each of the participants presented initiatives to facilitate and promote senior citizens' participation in tourism in Europe, such as the Imserso's thermalism and tourism programmes in Spain and the ANCV's Seniors en vacances in France. The main focus was on accessibility, quality of life, inter-institutional commitment and the development of local communities.

Speakers of CafecISTO Europe.

Finally, CafecISTO Americas concluded by introducing four new members: Turismo Inclusivo de Araucanía (Chile), Tourisme Durable Québec (Canada), the Ministry of Tourism of the State of Guanajuato (Mexico) and the Sustainable & Social Tourism Summit (Mexico). The members discussed upcoming projects and events to be held in the Americas as well as in Europe. Among them we can find the first Euro-Mediterranean-Americas Forum Cultural Itineraries-Social Tourism "From the Mediterranean to the Americas" Phoenician Route in Galicia (Spain) this December and the Americas Social Tourism Meeting in Colombia in April 2022.

Screenshot of ISTO's institutional video.

Participants of CafecISTO Americas.