Regions across the globe are facing a new reality shaped by overlapping transformations – such as climate change, shifting demographics, rapid technological advances, and geopolitical tensions. These complex and interrelated forces are reshaping global value chains, altering investment patterns, and transforming traditional models of regional development.
This report seeks to identify the specific opportunities for Guatemala in this rapidly changing context, with a focus on the Departamento de Escuintla (Region of Escuintla). To this end, the OECD Development Centre (DEV) and Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE) have joined forces to produce this report, Rethinking Regional Attractiveness in Escuintla, Guatemala. DEV has a broad membership across developing countries, including 15 from Latin America and the Caribbean, Guatemala being one of them since 2019. The Governing Board of DEV brings together policy makers from countries of all regions and income levels to promote inclusive dialogue and advance more equitable and sustainable development. The work on regional development of CFE is guided by the OECD’s Regional Development Policy Committee (RDPC), which supports place-based strategies that enhance regional competitiveness – such as the ability to attract investment, talent and visitors – and build resilience to global shocks. Its work is under the OECD’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE) that helps local and national governments unleash the potential of entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises, promote inclusive and sustainable regions and cities, boost local job creation and implement sound tourism policies.
This report is part of a broader OECD initiative that includes case studies of regions across Europe, Latin America, and North Africa. It builds on the OECD’s Regional Attractiveness Compass – a diagnostic tool that helps policy makers to identify regional strengths and challenges across six domains (economic attractiveness, cultural and visitor appeal, land resilience and housing, resident well-being, connectedness and the natural environment) capturing over 60 indicators. The Compass goes far beyond traditional economic metrics to understand different economic, social and environmental conditions for regional competitiveness, and the relationships between them. More than 40 regions have been analysed using this Compass.
This report offers both a detailed assessment of Escuintla’s current positioning, and a forward-looking roadmap for engaging globally to create more dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable development in Guatemala.