Communitarian Ecotourism in the Utría Natural National Park
The national park called Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría (PNNU) is located in the Colombian northwest, exactly in the Biogeographic Chocó. The Manocambiada Corporation, a communitarian organization with 100% afro-Colombian that aims at promoting integral development for the pacific inhabitants. As an strategy, it promotes income generation through ecotourism articulating the tourist service providers from the Nuquí communities and surrounding areas, into a process that generates sustainable development, autonomous territory management, improvement of the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants and the strengthening of cultural values within the community. The corporation is ...
About You
Contact Information
Title
Dr.
First name
Carlos Mario
Last name
Tamayo Saldarriaga
Your job title
Advisor
Name of your organization
Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia
Organization type
Organization Type
Annual budget/currency
Annual Budget/Currency
Mailing address
Carrera 10 No. 20 - 30 PIso 3 Bogotá, D.C
Telephone number
Telephone Number
Postal/Zip Code
Country
Colombia
Website
Email address
Alternative email address
Alternative email address
Your idea
This will be the address used to plot your entry on the map.
Street Address
Carrera 10 No. 20 - 30 Piso 3
City
Bogotá, D.C
State/Province
-
Postal/Zip Code
-
Country
Colombia
Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant
Quality of benefit to residents for the destination , Quality of tourism management by destination leadership .
Organization size
Small (1 to 100 employees)
Indicate sector in which you principally work
Conservation/Preservation organization
Year innovation began
2005
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Indicate sector in which you principally work
Living culture, Nature, Education, General destination stewardship/management.
Name Your Project
Communitarian Ecotourism in the Utría Natural National Park
Describe Your Idea
The national park called Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría (PNNU) is located in the Colombian northwest, exactly in the Biogeographic Chocó. The Manocambiada Corporation, a communitarian organization with 100% afro-Colombian that aims at promoting integral development for the pacific inhabitants. As an strategy, it promotes income generation through ecotourism articulating the tourist service providers from the Nuquí communities and surrounding areas, into a process that generates sustainable development, autonomous territory management, improvement of the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants and the strengthening of cultural values within the community. The corporation is ...
IDB/Fomin
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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), Agentes detallistas, Operadores de Turismo, Prestatarios de servicios turísticos, Grupos comunitarios autóctonos, Atractivos naturales y culturales.
Indica cuales de estas tematicas cubre tu innovacion (elige todas aquellas opciones que apliquen)
Planificación y Gestión de destinos, Innovación y diversificación en el desarrollo de productos turísticos, Profesionalización, buenas prácticas y certificación de servicios turísticos sostenibles, Estrategias y herramientas innovadoras para la promoción y puesta en mercado de destinos y productos en turismo sostenible y geoturismo..
Innovation
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.
Valuation and inclusion of the afro descendant culture in the Biogeographic Chocó and the conservation of biodiversity through strengthening communitarian ecotourism in Utría Park.
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 national park called Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría (PNNU) is located in the Colombian northwest, exactly in the Biogeographic Chocó. The Manocambiada Corporation, a communitarian organization with 100% afro-Colombian that aims at promoting integral development for the pacific inhabitants. As an strategy, it promotes income generation through ecotourism articulating the tourist service providers from the Nuquí communities and surrounding areas, into a process that generates sustainable development, autonomous territory management, improvement of the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants and the strengthening of cultural values within the community. The corporation is a paradigm in terms of competitiveness growth of communities located in Tribugá and Cupica gulfs in the Colombian Pacific region and it is this leadership, which have managed to financially, and socially influence over 60 families. In this manner Monacambiada (civil society) and the National Parrk Unit (government) have agreed on a communitarian ecotourism strategy in the Natural National Park Utría, where the corporation provides a range of ecotourism services and products, focused in the Chocó afro descendant culture, its legends, songs and dances, which capture those who share with them a coexistence scheme between biodiversity and a magic culture.
Explain in detail why your approach is innovative
The Manocambiada Corporation is a 100% communitarian organization constituted by a community that transmits its culture by means of a happiness dance for births and beautiful farewell songs for those who pass away. Myths and customs, the ancestors’ history. Its process as a communitarian group have enabled then to create new income alternatives in a distant Colombian area.
Each of these expressions are accompanied by a delicious typical gastronomy full of the region’s own flavors.
An the above is supplemented by the biodiversity found at National Park Natural Utría, which main attraction is whale watching, which turns into a perfect scenario for introducing the product Utría: Communitarian Ecotourism.
With its work, the corporation favors more than 60 families located in the area of influence of the protected area, whose members are partners to the corporation an not employees. This is one of the most significant differences: everybody earns the same amount. The innovation is the brought together between its communitarian management actions n favor of local development, in search for recognition and business growth, jointly with a governmental entity responsible for the conservation and preservation of ecosystems and of the different cultures immersed in the regions’ sustainable development.
Impact
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?
In quantitative terms, a registry records the number of visitors who have been in the area and who have stayed in the visitors center, as a result of getting to know about the project and experience the protected area as such (371 people between January March 2009) who attended activities on environmental awareness and education. It is worth mentioning that the park was closed for ecotourism activities up to August 2008. As from said month, the Organization’s test exercise was initiated. Likewise, there are accounting records regarding the Organization’s financial statements that evidence that the project is making progress.
In qualitative terms, this is an appropriation exercise. The different communitit4es have acknowledged the protected area as a space where they show their growth, their roots in the region, their commitment with the conservation and their everlasting contribution with the region’s biodiversity for their children and in general for future generations, by means of their economic activity.
Upon the development of this activity, clean development mechanisms have been agreed, thus selecting environmentally friendly practices such as the waste separation, water saving strategies, etc which are socialized with visitors and with the same work team. We will develop the certification of the activity pursuant to the existing tourism regulations.
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?
The community itself provides the different ecotourism services in a direct manner. IN accordance with the features of its activities, the earned money is invested in the rendering of services and in revenues for families of each of the corporation members of the corporation. At the same time, members from other organizations are benefited by providing services such as guiding, water transportation, and artisans among others.
How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Jointly with Colombian Natural National Parks team, the organization is advancing socialization actions of the area’s conservation objects, that include cultural, social and environmental values associated with Utría National Park. Awareness creation exercises include talk on identification of flora and fauna species within the Park to the beauty of whales singing, delicious dished prepared by the community with products from the region, legends from native people and local artisanship.
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.
Manocambiada Corporation carries out its work in the Tribugá Gulf Region. They perform activities related to ecotourism and ethno tourism, environments full of natural life, to please visitors’ preferences. Colombian Natural National Parks -Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia provides visitors with talks on environmental education and introduces the protected area so that visitors acknowledge the place where they are. Likewise, the groups from different communities share their experiences with mother earth. They believe in their territory, they believe in the nature that they live and share, and they transmit their feelings to those who visit the region.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
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.
Upon the signature of the contract, the corporation received as a loan for use agreement the structures for accommodation for visitors and restaurant, everything in good condition for operation, environmental adjustment for handling waste generated by the activity and preliminary works in path signaling.
Fixed and variable charges of the Corporation are covered by the collection performed to visitors to Ultría Park, and 89 of the revenues collected are aimed at is strengthening, 10% to the Parks Unit and 1% for projects that benefit the community. In addition, the Corporation received fees for spreading and promotion carried out at national level and other local operators. Moreover, the organization is developing projects aimed at attracting resources for the development of projects and strengthening.
In case we are selected for a joint financing from FOMIN/BID , the Natural National Parks Unit would allocate a balancing amount.
Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? Is there a potential demand for your innovation?
At present, the exercise of the protected area is not sustainable in financial terms due to:
1) The project's location, the operation costs of the ecotourism activity is high due to maritime transport supplies and personnel required.
2) Travelling expenses for tourists is high, thus segmenting the visitors profile and in certain seasons, it implied a destination with a low number of tourists.
Work should be done on strategies to solve these situations, the way to establish strategies to reduce operation costs, strengthen the promotion strategy and the massive commercialization in Colombia and abroad; search for another market segment type such as corporate events and educational events for which space adjustments are required as well as commitment from the business sector.
What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia already has 4 ecotourism projects which have been formulated, signed and under implementation process. Each of them has different features in terms of ecosystems, conservation object values, accessibility, visitors’ behavior, etc. In the case of Utría one of the most important barriers faced by the destination is accessibility. The areas of influence of the project have the following access routes, by plane from the cities of Quibdo and Medellín to Bahía Solano or to Nuquí to take a maritime route to Utría Natural National Park. Transport charges are high and turn into a barrier when visitors choose the destination. Likewise, the second issue to be evaluated is the analysis of accounting results. Although the destination has an advance financial statement, this does not evidence a favorable tendency for its economy. The lack of spreading and accessibility costs do not allow an optimum flow of visitors at the moment. However, there exists credibility on the process, taking into consideration variables in terms of product acknowledgement, high season of visitors, etc.
Finally, with the huge natural and cultural wealth of the area, it is necessary to identify and position a differentiating product that positions the destination at national and international level.
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.
For Parques Nacionales and Corporación Manocambiada this is permanent accompanied process, and as such, parties are convinced about its success. The current commitment is to make results viable and improve the project weaknesses.
There exist a working plan that has been agree upon, it defines its improvement strategies to solve problems and overcome current obstacles and threat. As a priority, work on the Corporation’s organizational and business strengthening is carried out in order to guarantee the sustainability of the process in time, the foundation of an autonomous company that benefit an increase number of the local community members.
There is work credibility and confidence and this is considered as an essential aspect in the achieving shared goals.
The Story
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
The Parks unit, within the guidelines framework for the development of communitarian ecotourism, initiated the process aimed at involving organized local communities for providing ecotourism activities and services, summoning existing operators and organizations in the area. During a compromise agreement existing organization selected Mano Cambiada Corporation as the organization that will provide ecotourism activities and services, relation the other organization for the benefit the local community.,
The corporation and its members have always evidenced a strong commitment with this partnership. So far, with this joint work, we have achieved training for its members, the construction of planning tools, the search for support from other institutions for promotion and training activities, which led to the acknowledgement of the Corporation, the partnerships, the Parks Unity and the region at national level.
What is the origin of your innovation? Tell the Changemakers and media communities what prompted you to start this initiative.
As an strategy of sustainable use of the protected areas environmental services, The national parks unit has been developing several ecotourism projects with local communities. These strategies are aimed at creating partnerships with local communitarian organizations for rendering ecotourism services and activities in the Colombian Natural National Parks and its areas of influences, thus contributing to the conservation of natural resources and the Unit’s financial sustainability. Business related capacities are strengthened within communitarian organizations, which improve the quality of life of the community and its competitiveness in the country's tourist sector. In the Utria Park and its area of influence with a huge tourist potential, executives from other regions of the country rendered the development of the activity from other regions of the country where local inhabitants were the employees. The Manocambiada Corporation was born within the aim of strengthening local autonomy, creating negotiation capacity and creating partnerships with foreign tourist executives, as a response to the need to integrate the Nuqui Choco communities into a sustainable development tourist process, generating added-value for the community, reinvesting on social aspects and improving the product and sectors’ competitiveness.
One of the main characteristics of the Corporation is to offer a range of accommodation opportunities and supplementing activates for visitors in which native people are the owners and hosts of their own business. These companies provide specialized guides in typical activities of the region, a gastronomy proposal in charge of women and host who work at restaurants and hostels, cultural dance and regional music expressions and artisanship created by indigenous and black artisans.
Mano Cambiada means exchange of labor; it is a cultural heritage ancestrally kept that is applied in productive activities and in daily life.
Describe some unique tourist experiences that your approach provides. Be specific; give illustrative examples.
Communitarian ecotourism projects are established in the framework of planning ecotourism activities in the protected areas, the implementation of good practices for the conservation of the environment, the strengthening of the communitarian organization, the acknowledgement of socio cultural values, the development of training programs and activities aimed at creating awareness and providing education to local inhabitants and visitors.
Up to now three new partnerships were also created in addition to the existing with Mano Cambiada Corporation, with the same scheme and which achieved results in terms of management and appropriation of territory resources.
1. Nativos Activos Communitarian Organization: Group of afro descendant inhabitants, women in particular, from Orika, at Isla Grande, within the Corales del Rosario Natural National Park and San Bernardo (Bolívar). Its product focuses on health truism and the Park’s marine natural values.
2. Naturar Iguaque Communitarian Organization: composed by young country men from Arcabuco (Boyacá) they develop their activity at Iguaque Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. This projects has different added values such as the articulation with natural and mystical values of the Sanctuary and the organic farming developed by groups.
3. Grupo Asociativo en Ecoturismo El Santuario, located in the Caribbean coast, in the influence area of Camarones, Riohacha region, which provides its services at Los Flamencos Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. The organization integrated by afro descendants, hold strong partnerships with other organization for the provision of specific services, like bird tourism and development of cultural tourism with Wayuu Indigenous peoples.
What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?
Upon the starting of the project from the National Parks Unit we have advanced some promotion and spreading strategies on the communitarian exercise developed. So far we have a promotional video of the region, printed brochures mainly on the communitarian ecotourism project and spreading on tourist fairs with the participation of representatives from Mano Cambiada although it does not respond to a promotion and spreading plan that requires to be defined and implemented. We have identified the requirement to establish a commercialization company for the Communitarian Product company, in this connection we are initiating partnerships with different public and private actor. Moreover, we have advanced in terms of training programs with important institutions aimed at improving the service quality. On the other hand, the organization has managed to attract specific support from NGOs, which strengthen its development as a communitarian and business organization.
