Rio de Janeiro to host international ISO tourism event in 2025

03-08-23

Rio de Janeiro will host, in 2025, the ISO/TC 228 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) focused on tourism activities. The event was created in 2005, with the active participation of Brazil, since the first meeting, through the Brazilian Tourism Committee (CB 54), the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). The dates of the event have not yet been set.

ISO/TC 228 is the technical committee of ISO whose objective is to develop international standards that guarantee the quality, safety and sustainability of tourism services. The group is currently led by Spain and is made up of 105 countries and dozens of tourism organisations. Since then, it has produced 46 international technical standards and is working on 17 new documents.

At the event, technicians and specialists from different countries meet every year in thematic working groups (WG) to discuss and define best practices for tourism, such as terminology, services, destinations, facilities, infrastructure, sustainability, safety and quality. These norms, when approved by consensus, can be used as an international standard for the promotion of tourism by governments, the tourism trade and even tourists themselves.

The president of Embratur, Marcelo Freixo, welcomed the choice of Brazil as the venue for the event. "The year 2025 is important for Brazil, because it is also the year of COP-30. This demonstrates the importance of sustainability for the country, as several issues that are addressed at the ISO have to do with sustainable and responsible tourism," explains Freixo.

"It is very interesting that Brazil participates in these meetings because we enter into a joint discussion with other countries, bringing Brazil's intelligence and technical opinion to the working groups. When you participate, you have a much more constructive interference with the Brazilian vision", emphasises Embratur's coordinator of Nature and Special Segments, Leonardo de Moura Persi is one of Brazil's representatives in ISO/TC 228, leading the adventure tourism WG.

Brazil also coordinates, since 2016, the Sustainable Tourism WG, with Alexandre Garrido. "International standardisation is a strategic activity and has a direct impact on the competitiveness of tourism companies and destinations, so it is essential to maintain Brazilian participation and leadership in this process," said Garrido.

In the case of adventure tourism, for example, six technical standards have already been published by ISO, five of which are based on Brazilian standards, and in the area of sustainable tourism, two international standards based on national standards have already been published.

The initiative to bring the event to Brazil came from the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT), through a request from the National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC), with the support of Embratur, the Ministry of Tourism, Sebrae Nacional and the Brazilian Association of Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism Companies (ABETA).