Megan Parkinson

Head of Sustainability at the Latin America Travel Association (LATA)

With over 20 years of experience in the LATAM travel industry, Megan has deep regional knowledge and expertise and has been a driving force in establishing and promoting sustainable tourism practices across the continent.

Megan worked for a number of specialist tour operators including Journey Latin America and Chimu Adventures before joining LATA in 2014.  At LATA, Megan has grown the membership significantly to represent over 350 travel and tourism businesses operating to and around Latin America.

In 2018 Megan spearheaded LATA’s Sustainability charter; a milestone initiative establishing a guiding set of sustainability principles for the network. This laid the groundwork for LATA’s sustainability strategy and the implementation of a strategic training programme in collaboration with the Long Run. This transformative three-month training programme empowers businesses to embed sustainability into their day-to-day operations.

Megan was a founding member and is a trustee of the LATA Foundation; LATA’s charitable arm that supports grassroots initiatives in Latin America including a number of important conservation projects in popular tourism areas.  During the pandemic, Megan initiated the successful ‘Peru 25 for 25’ campaign, raising more than £18,000 to provide essential food parcels for out-of-work Inca Trail porters in Peru.

With her wealth of experience, Megan is a prominent figure in the fields of responsible tourism, sustainability and conservation.