The ninth Congress and the General Assembly of the World Association for Professional Training in Tourism (WAPTT or AMFORT in French and Spanish) was held in Havana, Cuba, November 19-23, 1990. The theme of the conference was Tourism and Development: Tourism in Latin America Facing the Challenge of Year 2000. The Congress was opened by LOY PUDDU, WAPTT President, who was joined by representatives from the host government and other organizational bodies, welcoming the Congress and speaking on the significance of the theme. For the treatment of the theme, four commissions were formed: Economic Aspects of Tourism Development; Links Among the Enterprises, Public Agencies and Schools in Training Tourism Personnel; Sociocultural Aspects of Tourism Development ; and Pedagogical Aspects of Training Tourism Personnel. Each commission had successive sessions at which numerous paper presentations were made. Communication among Congress participants was facilitated with simultaneous interpretation in English, French, and Spanish. The Congress succeeded in bringing into focus a large number of interrelated issues or perspectives, a fragmented sample of which would perhaps give an indication of their nature and orientation. Throughout the conference, there were many occasions to elaborate on the significance of tourism : dtourism has become one of the most important activities of our times.d References to the economic prospects of tourism were many: dits multiple forms of income and employment.d But it was acknowledged that potentials for tourism development dmust be evaluated with the prudence and realism that its particular characteristics demand,d and attempts should be made, at all times, to preventda widening difference between certain developed areas and developed countries,d that tourism cannot be d allowed to develop in an irreversible manner.... d Such potentially negative aspects or potentials of tourism were, however, not considered dinsurmountabled and the dnegative models ... can be neutralized... through planning.d To move in this direction, the dtourist sector should be managed by true specialists at all levels in order to