Ecotourism by the Colombian Network of Private Nature Reserves.
Street Address
Los Abedules No. 21, Kilómetro 7 vía a Pereira
City
Circasia
State/Province
Quindio
Postal/Zip Code
Country
Colombia
Year innovation began
2003
Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant
Quality of benefit to the people of the desitination
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Indicate sector in which you principally work
Conservation/Preservation organization
Main insight addressed
Incorporate sustainable practices
Geographic location
Multiple locations.
Name Your Project
Describe Your Idea
What is the goal of your innovation?
Increase sustainability of private nature reserves and the quality of people´s life through tourism.
How does your approach support or embody geotourism?
Owners of private nature reserves (small and medium sized farmers, non-profit environmental NGOs), family members and neighbors are directly in charge of product design and attending visitors. Travelers receive first-hand, sincere, direct interpretation of nature attractions, culture and community values. Owners and community members participate and decide on all key aspects of tour design and operation: activities, interactions, group size, itinerary and regulations. Family members involved in this initiative have improved their self-esteem and confidence. In Colombia, the traditionally low income of rural families have deprived them from accessing the opportunities brought by technology, communications and science. Visitor´s express recognition of the beauty of their landscapes, the harmonic rhythms of their daily lives, rural wisdom and cultural characteristics have had a big effect on the way locals perceive and value their role in society. Private nature reserves are located at distinct bio-geographic regions: Amazon, Orinoco, Andes and Caribbean. They exist in the most beautiful, unknown corners of the country (not always the most remote), cherished by their owners, providing authentic travel experiences for visitors. There are no artificial or forced standards built upon urbanite and pre-conceived mental schemes. Views, forms, sounds, smells and flavors are as authentic as the people are.
Describe your approach in detail. How is it innovative?
The Colombian Network of Private Nature Reserves is, above all, a social network, built upon volunteer work and contributions of members and partners. Life is valued above all, and people are most important. Nature reserves are established by voluntary decision of their owners, with the commitment to preserve a portion of their land for the perpetuation of nature. Ecotourism development has been brought upon the same values, with great effort by their owners. No big investments are done (bank lending is discouraged), and services provide no luxuries. Comfort and quality are guaranteed though, as well as security in infrastructure, activities, trails, water supply, food preparation and transportation. First, an introductory training workshop is provided by Agroecotur´s personnel for all motivated persons within the destination, covering the fundamentals of ecotourism and agrotourism, with due emphasis on principles. Then, nature attractions within the reserve and its surroundings are evaluated. Results of previous biological inventories are revised and updated according to touring potential. Excursions and tour plans are conceived through direct and long-standing interaction between locals and Agroecotur´s personnel. All visitors provide key feedback through interviews and questionnaires.
What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?
Our goal is to develop “destination management companies” in localities where groups (nodes) of private reserves exist, directly owned and operated by owners of nature reserves. Thus, training on skills for operation and administration of this type of companies is necessary. We embrace a market-oriented presentation of attractions and activities. Thus, partnerships with marketing companies abroad are mandatory. We trust originality and identity, based on the design of high quality products through creativity, sound knowledge of market demands and genuine understanding of culture and idiosyncrasy. A long-standing quality development plan will be very beneficial and highly desired.
In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
Better management and increased sustainability of private nature reserves through ecotourism, supporting conservation and the well being of local people.
Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts? 200 words or less
Insofar, 28 tourist units among private nature reserves, farms and country homes had established tourism services, supporting 14 programmed excursions, achieving a nice and diverse portfolio of opportunities for travelers wanting to see Colombia and enjoy its astonishing biological richness. Destinations previously unknown are now visible, benefiting travelers, communities and rural families. Reserve owners have been able to reaffirm their commitment for conservation. Nature attractions are shared with visitors, bringing a new and invigorating meaning for previously silent conservation efforts. Neighbors and local communities have found opportunities to sell and market their products and services. Establishment of tourism activities has diversified rural production, farms and reserves becoming less dependable on rural products. Diversification through tourism has strengthen reliance, providing families with better means for overcoming critical moments. In our case, tourism can be seen as an environmental service, providing added value for previously unvalued assets of rural land. Negative impacts are greatly minimized by: limiting the group size to less than 15 visitors at a time; providing first-hand, personalized attention (improves control and quality); assigning 1 guide per 7 visitors; assuring product is operated directly by knowledgeable and very capable local people.
How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Tours are planned with great attention to client motivation, within the capacity of nature reserves and local resource availability. Adaptations are made cost-effectively to match visitors needs whenever possible. A “travelers backpack” information is provided before the trip, guiding travelers on important issues that can increase comfort, safety and ease of traveling. As said before, all services are provided by locals, in a family-oriented approach. Thus, it is difficult for visitors to become isolated from locals (of course, special moments of intimacy and privacy are protected).
Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area’s cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?
Agroecotur provides an alternative way for traveling and this becomes quite clear for clients when they first contact us. Thus, we must concede that the vast majority of travelers coming to Agroecotur already have a favorable attitude towards nature conservation and are partially aware of the social implications and relationships of their trip. Tour activities have high contents on principles, philosophy, scientific research and procedures for conservation and responsible relation towards nature and human kind. Being conservationists, Agroecotur´s Board of Directors and staff assure that all activities are performed with the least possible environmental impact, seeking maximum social welfare.
In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
Local folks are the owners of nature reserves and direct custodians of nature attractions. They are the main stakeholders in our mission and vision statements. Being a non-profit organization, Agroecotur´s economic surplus is reinvested in activities that support our mission: ecotourism as a tool for biodiversity conservation and agrotourism as a means for enhancing rural life-styles, improving the quality of life of families that live in the reserves, farms and neighboring communities.
Issue Selector
Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
Our initiative is not financially sustainable yet, but it is organizationally sustainable thanks to the commitment of founder members and their important experience in rural development and biodiversity conservation. In order to attain financial sustainability, we need to improve marketing strategy, increase marketing investments and conceive alliances with organizations knowledgeable on tourism marketing. Our enterprise will be interesting to those companies specialized in the preparation of travel excursions, located in the more developed countries, in Europe, Asia and USA. Biologically, South America is one of the richest continents on earth and Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries.
How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
Founder members provide small but key economic support to young Agroecotur, through the development of special projects, conceived and aimed at developing Agroecotur´s mission. Founder members and Agroecotur cooperate with international organizations, such as World Wildlife Fund, The World Bank and The Nature Conservancy, among others. Agroecotur has gained good reputation providing sound technical assistance to local and regional governmental agencies, through specific projects and cooperation agreements aimed at developing ecotourism and agrotourism as an alternative for rural development and nature reserve management in the Central Andes of Colombia.
What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
Agroecotur´s main goal is to train local leadership capable of founding destination management companies, with the best skills of the trade. We will like to position and strengthen a few destinations first, moving to new localities in a progressive manner. We envision a National Network of Agrotourism and Ecotourism Services of high quality and strong rural and environmental identity. This network will provide visitors with unique traveling experiences in direct contact with rural life-styles, culture, nature and landscapes, based on four types of tourist units: Agrotourist Farm, Private Nature Reserve, Craftsman Country Home and the Rural Home.
What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
Unfortunately, Colombia has a bad image abroad, as an insecure and violent country. A small company as ours cannot change such an unfavorable image. Also, Colombia´s Congress and Senate have been very productive in passing many laws and regulations that favor business by large tourism companies and monopolies, ignoring the situations and economic realities of small and medium-sized farmers and land owners. Perhaps the biggest barrier is the limited resources for increased marketing efforts.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
Daniel Uribe is a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine (MSc from the University of Illinois), being an avid and passionate bird-watcher since 10-years old. Dedicated full time to conservation projects in Colombia, has advised many public and private conservation efforts, becoming Chief of Land Planning of the Gobernación del Quindío (1997 – 2001). Main advisor to the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Quindío (2001-2003), the maximum environmental authority within the region. Has traveled extensively throughout Colombia and is an advanced amateur photographer and passionate fisherman.
What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.
Agroecotur is a non-profit organization, established july 2003 by producers, professionals and non-governmental organizations that work on rural and environmental issues. We strive for a humane and sustainable rural development, with high respect for the community and cultural dynamics that enable Colombia as a very special tourism destination, rich in landscapes and traditions. We favor the small and medium sized family farm unit. We strive for the permanency of rural traditions through productive systems that are biodiversity friendly. We envision a socially just and environmentally sustainable development for rural areas, that allows small and medium sized farmers to remain within their communities, enhancing culture and traditions among diverse productive systems and practices. We seek a rural development scheme that takes into account the multi-active potential of farms and land; that harvests on the multi-functional properties of rural activities; that reactivates employment in the fields and contributes towards biodiversity preservation. Agroecotur´s main social objective is: “the economic, social, cultural and environmental welfare of those families that choose tourism services as a complementary income that adds up to their agricultural, timber, cattle, crafts and environmental production”. Agroecotur has four founding members: 1. The Colombian Network Association of Private Nature Reserves (Resnatur, at www.resnatur.org.co) is a non-profit organization established November 1991 by a group of persons and private organizations - owners of nature reserves, united through common ideals – aimed at the conservation and protection of biodiversity through the sustainability of their lands. Resnatur favors productive practices that are compatible with nature conservation, benefiting associates, community and society as a whole. 2. The Foundation Center for Research on Sustainable Production Systems – CIPAV, is a non-governmental organization with twenty years of experience in research, training and communication aimed at sustainable production systems on agriculture and livestock. CIPAV´s mission is to contribute towards the sustainable development of rural regions through research, training and communication of economic options that are nature and biodiversity friendly. CIPAV has a dynamic web page (www.cipav.org.co) with free information and communication of academic and training events in Latin America, and is the lead institution for the electronic magazine Livestock Research For Rural Development. 3. Fundación Horizonte Verde (www.horizonteverde.org.co) was born from the concern for natural resources and the damage caused by inappropriate production systems copied mistakenly from experiences abroad under non-tropical conditions and carelessly applied to our country’s situation. The Foundation is a fresh space for independent thinking and regional development research processes. The Foundation’s objectives focus on research for new and better sustainable production systems, environmental education and conservation of natural resources, training farmers on alternative production systems, ecotourism and research on environmental impacts and economics. Headquarters are located at Villavicencio (Meta) and is active throughout the Orinoquean region of Colombia. 4. El Hatico Nature Reserve is family-owned by Molina Durán & Company, an enterprise aimed at sustainable production and natural resource conservation in the valley of the Cauca river, sharing their experiences with producers, public and private institutions that work in rural development.
Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on the competition homepage.
Agroecotur embraces a socially just and environmentally sustainable rural development, where tourism helps farmers and private nature reserve owners to remain at their rural areas and communities, with continuity of multiple cultures and traditions among diverse productive systems and practices. Agroecotur seeks a rural development scheme that takes into account the multi-active potential of farms and land; that harvests on the multi-functional properties of rural activities; that reactivates employment in the fields; helps balancing city-farm income relations; and contributes towards biodiversity preservation and the alimentary safety of rural communities and the national community.
 | Daniel Uribe said: Dear Dirk Alejandro: Thanks for your support and interest in Agroecotur´s entry to the Geotourism Challenge! Fortunately for ... about this idea. - 567 days ago read more > |
| Dirk Alejandro König said: Agroecotur - once some risk issues in Colombia are solved - will surely contribute to the risk of "wanting to ... about this idea. - 567 days ago read more > |