20 / Oct / 2004

WASHINGTON, DC (October 21, 2020) - The President of Honduras will launch the SAVE strategy to involve Scientists, Academics, Volunteers and Educational travelers in the development of its tourism industry when tomorrow at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) he officially signs an agreement with two international organizations and a leading university.
President Ricardo Maduro of Honduras will enter into an agreement with the National Geographic Society, Counterpart International and The George Washington University to implement the SAVE Tourism project to attract Scientific, Academic, Volunteer and Educational travelers and involve them in the diversification and strengthening of Honduras' natural and cultural attractions. SAVE consortium partners are developing a long-term model for increasing the credibility of destinations, providing experiential learning opportunities, and engaging local and international scientists, academics and volunteers in conserving and improving unique landscapes and communities.
"The SAVE project places Honduras at the very forefront of countries seeking to sustainably develop their tourism industry," said Lelei LeLaulu, president of Counterpart International. "It's an immensely intelligent way to ensure the conservation of natural resources while developing a huge tourism potential," he remarked. "Going for the more sophisticated markets attracts cosmopolitan and well-educated travelers who will appreciate the diverse experience Honduras offers. They can appreciate its natural, cultural and archaeological diversity,” said LeLaulu.

SAVE was inspired by the positive effect that scientific research programs have had in sparking the growth of the tourism industry. Such research has generated tourism in destinations including Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, and at the Copan Ruins in Western Honduras.

Honduras Tourism Minister Thierry de Pierrefeu said the word-of-mouth promotion and enthusiasm of Copan earned media coverage and generated public interest, which precipitated the rapid growth of its tourism industry. The high expectations of the well-educated travelers ensured that tourism growth was tasteful and well planned, he added. "The alliances with reputable and credible entities, such as the Getty Foundation and the Pigorini Museum, have been extremely valuable to certify the quality of the destination in the Copan region. We aim to replicate this approach to enhance and promote other heritage sites in our country," said Minister de Pierrefeu in Washington today.
The SAVE Program hopes to raise the profile of Honduras' natural and cultural resources by promoting research in six major tropical ecosystems, nine different ethnic groups (speaking nearly as many languages), and its archaeological treasures.

Honduras and SAVE consortium partners are developing programs and infrastructure that will facilitate the work of scientists and academics in the rain forests, cloud forests, pine forests, arid forests, mangroves, wetlands and coral reef ecosystems contained in the country's diverse parks system. The program will encourage volunteer travelers to channel their efforts toward maintaining and preserving the region's unique ethnic communities, and transform technical information generated by research into well-interpreted educational travel programs.

SAVE, an initiative originated by the Honduras Institute of Tourism (IHT) and jointly developed with The George Washington University, is a component of a pioneering tourism strategy in the Central American nation. SAVE consortium partners will also commit to the Geotourism Principles developed by the National Geographic Society at their headquarters on Friday morning.

Honduras is the first country to commit to Geotourism, which "sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place - its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents."