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Intiguazi Ecolodge – Home of the Sun
Ubicación
The Intiguazi Ecolodge [Posada Ecológica Intiguazi], which in Quechua language means Home of the Sun, is located in the Guiana Shield, in La Gran Sabana [The Great Savannah], in southern Venezuela, South America, where its imposing Roraima, Kukenan, Yuruani, and Chimantá Chirikayen tepuys [table-top mountains], among others not less important, are a testimony of the oldest soils on the planet. Aware of the fragility of the ecosystem and the lack of utilities such as drainage systems, running water, electricity and garbage collection, in 1995 we set out to find out about the most environmentally-friendly alternatives which at the same time could provide the advantages of urban living ...
Sobre ti
Información de contacto
Title
Titulo
First name
Wanda
Last name
Wojtowicz
Your job title
General Manager
Name of your organization
Posada Ecológica Intiguazi - La Casa del Sol
Organization type
Tipo de organización
Annual budget/currency
Presupuesto anual
Mailing address
Dirección
Telephone number
Número de teléfono
Postal/Zip Code
Código Postal
Country
Venezuela
Website
Email address
Alternative email address
Otro e-mail
tu idea
Esta será la dirección usada para marcar tu participación en el mapa.
Street Address
Km. 62 Carretera Nacional SEU-Ikabaru
City
Municipio Gran Sabana
State/Province
Bolivar
Postal/Zip Code
Código Pos
Country
Venezuela
Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant
quality of tourism management by destination leadership .
Organization size
Small (1 to 100 employees)
Indicate sector in which you principally work
Tourism-related business
Year innovation began
1996
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Indicate sector in which you principally work
Nature, Indigenous people, Adventure, Education, General tourism.
Name Your Project
Intiguazi Ecolodge – Home of the Sun
Describe Your Idea
The Intiguazi Ecolodge [Posada Ecológica Intiguazi], which in Quechua language means Home of the Sun, is located in the Guiana Shield, in La Gran Sabana [The Great Savannah], in southern Venezuela, South America, where its imposing Roraima, Kukenan, Yuruani, and Chimantá Chirikayen tepuys [table-top mountains], among others not less important, are a testimony of the oldest soils on the planet. Aware of the fragility of the ecosystem and the lack of utilities such as drainage systems, running water, electricity and garbage collection, in 1995 we set out to find out about the most environmentally-friendly alternatives which at the same time could provide the advantages of urban living ...
BID/FOMIN
Si perteneces a un pais de Latinoamerica y el Caribe tienes la oportunidad de presentar tu iniciativa para acceder a fondos para innovaciones en turismo sostenible del BID/FOMIN (para mayor informacion leer la seccion sobre la oportunidad BID/FOMIN en la pagina principal del Desafio).
Deseo postularme.
Si perteneces a un pais de Latinoamerica y el Caribe tienes la oportunidad de presentar tu iniciativa para acceder a fondos para innovaciones en turismo sostenible del BID/FOMIN (para mayor informacion leer la seccion sobre la oportunidad BID/FOMIN en la pagina principal del Desafio).
Consumidores (viajeros), Mayoristas, Agentes detallistas, Operadores de Turismo, Prestatarios de servicios turísticos, Prestatarios de servicios no turísticos (proveedores), Grupos comunitarios autóctonos, Atractivos naturales y culturales.
Indica cuales de estas tematicas cubre tu innovacion (elige todas aquellas opciones que apliquen)
Innovación y diversificación en el desarrollo de productos turísticos, Estrategias y herramientas innovadoras para la promoción y puesta en mercado de destinos y productos en turismo sostenible y geoturismo..
Innovación
What is the goal of your innovation? Please describe in one sentence the kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
We aim to comfortably experience wild nature, by using technological advances at the service of ecology.
Please write an overview of your project. Include how your approach supports or embodies geotourism or destination stewardship. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the map located on the competition homepage.
The Intiguazi Ecolodge [Posada Ecológica Intiguazi], which in Quechua language means Home of the Sun, is located in the Guiana Shield, in La Gran Sabana [The Great Savannah], in southern Venezuela, South America, where its imposing Roraima, Kukenan, Yuruani, and Chimantá Chirikayen tepuys [table-top mountains], among others not less important, are a testimony of the oldest soils on the planet. Aware of the fragility of the ecosystem and the lack of utilities such as drainage systems, running water, electricity and garbage collection, in 1995 we set out to find out about the most environmentally-friendly alternatives which at the same time could provide the advantages of urban living standards. So we opted for the use of a biogas digestor rather than a septic tank. At Intiguazi, running water comes from springs and reaches the place by the force of gravity. Solar or photovoltaic panels, of course, are the best option to generate electricity, and the use of diodes or LEDs improves the quality of lighting and performance in consumption. Garbage sorting and recycling has become a habit. All this allows us to provide all peoples with a place where you can comfortably experience close proximity to the wilderness, while minimizing the environmental impact that our presence may have on so special places on account of the fragility of their ecosystem. In addition to displaying the flora and fauna and the natural sites of interest, Intiguazi has provided an opportunity for the indigenous people of the Pemon ethnic group, residents in the area, to make their typical cultural aspects known "in situ", such as: conuco (small-scale sowing), the making of Cachiri (a drink made from fermented cassava) and casabe (cassava-based, sun-dried food).
Explain in detail why your approach is innovative
Venezuela’s carbon footprint is quite high. We must take into account that Venezuela is an oil-exporting country par excellence which still lacks a culture of use of alternative energies and garbage sorting and recycling, and that 13 years ago, when Intiguazi was born, the use of domestic alternative energies was hardly spoken about and access to these systems was difficult worldwide. Today, Intiguazi has become a multiplier of ecological concepts not at odds with comfort through an experiential teaching and learning process that acts on each of its guests and visitors, making it possible to replicate this model and improve it in any part of the world.
Impacto
Describe the degree of success you have had to date. How do you measure, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the impact on sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How has it transformed or contributed to the power of place or demonstrated the sustainability of tourism? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
Within only three years after opening its doors, the Intiguazi Ecolodge has positioned itself as one of the lodges with best references in the Great Savannah area, especially along the Santa Elena de Uairén–El Paují tourist route. Evidence of this is the increasing number of tourists in the tourist hub where the Lodge is located and the fact that their owners have been interviewed on the radio show --broadcast nationwide-- of renowned Dr. Pedro Penzini Fleury, a natural medicine practitioner and promoter of outdoor exercise and a balanced diet. In the same vein, Social Communicator Valentina Quintero, in her prestigious Guide, both in its printed and virtual versions, when speaking about tourist routes, lodges and campgrounds in Venezuela, has highly recommended the Intiguazi Ecolodge. She has also included a column in her Leisure Manual ["Manual Ociosidades"] section of the "Todo en Domingo" Sunday magazine, of nationwide circulation, which comes with "El Nacional" newspaper, where she recounts her personal experiences as a tourist in Venezuela. The fact that it is a green lodge that combines the highest comfort in perfect harmony with so unique an environment, where guests and visitors can enjoy an experiential teaching-learning process, makes the Intiguazi Ecolodge into a unique destination, which, through cutting-edge concepts in terms of energy saving, sewage disposal, and garbage sorting and recycling, minimizes the negative environmental impact that might be brought about in Great Savannah, Guiana Shield, by visitors staying at this green lodge, which has contributed to developing sustainable tourism by directly and indirectly integrating both indigenous and non-indigenous local residents into tourism activities developed by the Lodge, such as accommodation, meals, recreation and Day-tours.
In what ways are local residents actively involved in your work, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
Considering the paradigm of resource optimization, in this case Human Resources, local residents get actively involved in the following activities at the Lodge:
* Cooking: meals served at the Lodge are prepared by the only restaurant in the area.
* Day-tours: both the indigenous communities of "Las Agallas" (approx. 5 km apart), "Uaiparú” (approx. 8 km apart) and "El Paují” (approx. 15 km apart) are must-sees along the tourist routes we promote. Likewise, villagers work as guides and artisans exhibit and sell their art. The consumption of typical native meals is another activity that reaps benefits.
* Guest care and facilities maintenance.
* Administration and Management.
* Community Holistic Medical Care which incorporates traditional medicine advances while preserving local cosmogony.
How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Visitors’ enthusiasm is encouraged by providing comfort technologically friendly to the Great Savannah’s environment. Their satisfaction is achieved through the provision of high quality innovative services consistent with the price stipulated. In this sense, our visitors and guests interact with local residents, who mutually satisfy their interests about lifestyles, philosophical conception of existence, culture and language, among others.
Describe how your work helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues.
This is achieved by travelers actively living together in a green lodge, which evidences the strong likelihood of effective changes being made in everyday life on behalf of the world’s heritage, as is the case of the environment. Further, local residents have begun to understand that the preservation and promotion of their culture and natural environment is more valuable, in every sense, than to continue carrying out activities contrary to these purposes, such as indiscriminate mining, logging and burning. Specifically, we carry out some integrationist tasks, such as: dissemination of practices for a friendly coexistence of modernity with a fragile nature among the communities in the area; talks about garbage, its handling and disposal. All this is achieved through an experiential teaching-learning process aimed at both of them.
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Sustenibilidad
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.
From its inception to date, Intiguazi has been financed with resources of its own and self-management. Today, our staff is broken down as follows:
• Guest care and facilities maintenance: 2 full-time employees, 1 part-time employee and 2 volunteers.
• Day-tours: 2 part-time employees
• Administration and Management: 1 full-time employee and 1 part-time employee
Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? Is there a potential demand for your innovation?
We believe that our initiative is financially sustainable over time; in fact, we have grown from a top initial capacity for 14 guests to 24 today. However, we are in pursuit of regular agreements with organizations operating in the industry, so we can give our project a boost. To this end, we believe that by properly advertising in relevant places the concept of green lodging implemented at the Intiguazi Ecolodge, in Great Savannah, as well as the achievements attained to date, we will be able to show the great potential of this project, currently under implementation.
What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
We believe the (surmountable) barriers to be:
• Lack of governmental guidelines that promote the implementation of environmental policies.
• The area can be reached only by air, on light aircraft with a maximum capacity of 5 passengers. However, an airport has been built in Santa Elena de Uairén, which will allow for larger aircraft in the medium term.
• Only 4x4 vehicles can reach the Lodge, since there are 40 km of unpaved, gravel road very sporadically maintained by the authorities.
• Insufficient promotion of Great Savannah as a tourist destination in Venezuela by local, regional and national governmental agencies.
What is your plan to expand or further develop your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
Our plan to expand this project in general is to continue to work with the best quality both in the services we provide and in the ecological concept of green lodging. Therefore, our example and progress in achieving our previously-set goals will continue to show that, in effect, it is possible to replicate this concept, which in turn will result in a greater benefit to the community.
Specifically, in order to further develop the Intiguazi Ecolodge, it is necessary to have new spaces built for guest accommodation, applying the same ecological criterion implemented so far.
La historia
What is the origin of your innovation? Tell the Changemakers and media communities what prompted you to start this initiative.
Intiguazi was born as a personal life project that came up while we were raising awareness of how social conventions increasingly influence our daily lifestyles, getting us away from the concepts and values inherent in human beings. The aim is not just to survive, but to live together in perfect harmony with all who live in our natural home: the Planet Earth. A desire to share our innovative experiences to promote environmental awareness and learn more about our indigenous roots is what led us to open Intiguazi as an Ecolodge.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
Gregory Useche Pérez: Graduated as a Surgeon, he completed his graduate studies in Internal Medicine and ventured into the study and practice of Acupuncture. A Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Development marked the beginning of a vision and mission, both professional and personal, focused on considering individuals as a whole and as being responsible for both their own and collective welfare. He is currently working as an Internist at the Hospital in Santa Elena de Uairén, Gran Sabana, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela. He grew up on the outskirts of the city, where contact with and care for pets and plants were instilled by his parents, thus paving the way for what is now awareness about care and respect for nature. He served as Ombudsman in Great Savannah between 2000 and 2002. Today he is devoting his attention full-time to Intiguazi. His spouse has been a resident in Great Savannah since 1996.
Describe some unique tourist experiences that your approach provides. Be specific; give illustrative examples.
Living together in a green lodge in perfect harmony with the natural environment; experiencing the indigenous culture of the Pemon ethnic group; enjoying the use of technological innovations at the service of the environment in a remote place that lacks paved roads, Internet signal, regular and mobile phones, show a fascinating contrast that allows for reunion with unspoiled nature.
What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?
Partnerships with individuals and/or public or private legal entities devoted to environmental education, ecotourism, and all aspects related to environmental conservation.
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