The President of the Republic of El Salvador, Elias Antonio Saca, opened the 8th Ibero-American Ministers of Tourism Conference on Thursday. The main theme of the July 17-18 conference was "Tourism, Youth and Development."

The Salvadoran head of state welcomed attendees from 17 Latin American and Iberian countries, as well as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB).

With this Ibero-American meeting, El Salvador raised its tourism profile as a business and trade meetings destination, one of the goals of the 2014 National Tourism Plan launched by this country's Tourism Ministry. The plan aims to establish El Salvador as a niche market for this type of tourism and help the country become a leader in the Central American region.

The conference was of great importance to the Ministry of Tourism because it addressed diverse topics such as "Diversity, Perspectives and Trends among Ibero-American Youth and Tourism," "Talent for Tourism Development" and "Brazilian Initiatives for Placing Young People in the Tourism Field."

Minister of Tourism Ruben Rochi said the seminars were expected to be very productive. El Salvador presented a project aimed at promoting a culture of peace through youthful entrepreneurship in the tourism industry.

The conference also planned to analyze youth trends and strategies for tourism development, as well as discuss programs and technological tools to drive professional development in the tourism sector.

The insights gained at the regional meeting were to serve as input for the Declaration that will be signed by heads of state and government during the 28th Ibero-American Summit, whose central theme will be "Youth and Development," to be held in El Salvador next October 29-31.

Countries attending the meeting included: Mexico, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Andorra, Chile, Nicaragua, Honduras, Spain, Portugal and Brazil, as well as Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala and Panama.