Phase 2 of Colombia's Tourism Routes for Forests and Peace
14th May 2021
Acorn Tourism is working on Phase 2 of the UK BEIS funded community-based ecotourism project ‘Tourism Routes for Forests and Peace’.
The project will build the potential of community-based ecotourism in biodiversity hotspots to be a way to sustain rural livelihoods, reduce deforestation, avoid Green House Gas emissions and strengthen peacebuilding in the two post-conflict regions of Las Quinchas-Boyacá and the Perijá-Zapatosa region of Cesar.
We are working with E3-Ecologia, Econonia y Etica in Bogota, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Think Galapagos to implement the ecotourism plans that were co-developed with the communities in Phase 1.
Acorn’s work will focus on developing the capacity of the communities to use the marketing materials produced in Phase 1, the tourist videos, websites, plans and biodiversity booklets. Due to the current COVID-19 travel restrictions we are training local trainers run workshops that will enable the communities to develop and deliver. marketing action plans. Their marketing activities will initially attract local and domestic tourists and post-COVID, build towards attracting the international birding, community–based ecotourism and Scientific Academic Volunteer and Educational (SAVE) niche markets.
The project will also develop bird and nature booklets and guiding skills to empower the local people to understand the wealth of the species, including the many endemics that live in their forests. It will also generate culinary skills in each region with special emphasis on the preparation of traditional recipes and use of products grown locally.
