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The first "Making a Difference" award winner in 2014 is Matagalpa Tours, a sustainable tour operator in Nicaragua that is Rainforest Alliance verified and focused on nature, rural, and community tourism.

We spoke with general manager Arjen Roersma, who tells us about the essence of Matagalpa Tours, its work with communities, and the challenges of being a sustainable tourism business.

Question: How did Matagalpa Tours get started?

Roersma: After exploring many beautiful places in the northern zone of Nicaragua (actually, it's in the center of the country, but it's commonly called the "north" because the paved roads don't go any farther), we realized that there was no company offering tours to the destinations here. We recognized an opportunity, knowing that adventurous travelers would love to discover the beautiful jungles, volcanoes, and people of this region.

Q: Why did you decide to focus on rural tourism and cultural experiences?

Roersma:There is very little tourist infrastructure in the Matagalpa region but these communities and their inhabitants have many fascinating stories to tell and interesting activities in which tourists can participate. Our tours are perfect for travelers who are interested in the culture and history of Nicaragua and who do not mind having to spend a night in very basic accommodations in exchange for having a unique and authentic experience.

Q: How do you support the local people with whom you work?

Roersma:We have community initiatives to support indigenous women artisan groups and farmers. We also make a special effort to promote environmental education in the communities. Our Agualí project, which has been particularly successful, is an environmental education initiative executed by Matagalpa Tours with support from the Dutch embassy geared toward local youths. In 2013, we began organizing free tours for groups of students focused on environmental and sociocultural issues. We created the Aguali.net website in order to maintain a connection with the kids and increase the impact of our message. The website offers environmental, educational, and current events information for young people.

Q: How do tourists respond to your combination of entertainment, nature, and contact with communities?

Roersma: Many of our clients say they've had an unforgettable experience. It is essential for us that in addition to having a good time in Nicaragua, they take the message home. For example, we provide a lot of information on consumerism and how their choices at home affect the people here in our country. Some of our tours combine visits to sustainable coffee or cocoa farms so that tourists will think about the origin of what they consume and the power they have to make a change by being more conscious consumers.

Q: What environmental efforts do you make?

Roersma: We believe that best environmental practices should be an integral part of our lives. It cannot be that we save energy at work but do not care in our private lives. We have had a series of workshops and activities where the Matagalpa Tours team itself developed rules for environmental consciousness in all aspects of our lives.

Q: Why is it important for a company like Matagalpa Tours to obtain sustainable tourism verification from Rainforest Alliance?

Roersma: For us, the efforts we make to be a social and environmental business are already a major achievement. The Rainforest Alliance verification seal confirms and reaffirms these efforts. In both the economic and business realms, the verification process has helped us to prove that we are a credible environmental and community-oriented company.

Q: What efforts are you making as a member of Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS)?

Roersma: Although organizing ourselves is a challenge, in 2013 we trained the guides and drivers working with our businesses in good sustainability practices. We are also taking steps to promote Nicaragua as a destination with a sustainable profile nationally and internationally.

Q: What does a tour operator need to do in order to be sustainable?

Roersma: Even though other tour operators are competitors, you must be interested in the overall growth of the travel sector. We can achieve a lot more together than alone.

As a company, you must invest in your staff and create a place for their personal and professional development. It is also vital that the company generates revenue for the communities to which it brings visitors and applies its best practices everywhere it operates, not just within the company.

Q: What achievements has Nicaragua made in sustainable tourism and what challenges remain?

Roersma: Tourism development in Nicaragua got started slow and late, but luckily many local initiatives have been able to establish themselves. Most service providers such as hotels, restaurants, and transportation services are family businesses, which has helped Nicaragua be an original and unique country where culture and the hospitality environment continue to be attraction number one.

A challenge for us and the tourism industry is to promote domestic tourism.

This entry was posted on January 28, 2014 at 2:01 PM and has received 845 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Sustainable tourism, often equated with ecotourism, is known for providing environmental benefits such as preserving ecosystems and recycling wastes. However, truly sustainable tourism businesses, in addition to protecting the environment, make a commitment to supporting the socially and economically vulnerable people in their local community.

ORO Travel, a Rainforest Alliance Verified™ tour operator and member of the Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS) program, announced a partnership this month with the Carita Feliz Center, a Nicaraguan nonprofit organization that provides food, academic support, employment opportunities, and health services to low-income families in the city of Granada. Booking with sustainable tour operators like ORO Travel is a great way for travelers to give back to the communities they visit and know their money is going to responsible initiatives.

More than ten years ago, Carita Feliz founder Peder Kolind saw children begging for food in a local park and bought food for them from street vendors. As word spread and the number of children increased each day, Kolind recruited a local woman to help him cook rice and beans. Shortly thereafter, the Carita Feliz Center was born ("carita feliz" means "happy little face" in Spanish), and it has since expanded to become a robust nonprofit organization. The Center currently employs more than 30 local Nicaraguans and supports more than 1,500 children and teens by offering free meals, classes, recreational activities, dental services, and more. As many children in the city cannot afford the public school fee ($2 per month) or the required school uniform, Carita Feliz has given hundreds of scholarships since 2004 so that these children aren't excluded from an education for financial reasons.

The Center serves eight meals a day, including "big dinners" four nights a week that are accompanied by performances by the children. Tourists are welcome to attend the performances and help serve meals to the children and their families.

Though it focuses on the younger generation, Carita Feliz also supports local adults in several capacities. Two days a week, they serve free lunches for senior citizens. The Center has sewing machines which local people can use to produce school uniforms and other goods to sell. The Center also sells the food made in their cooking and baking classes and gives the proceeds to the students.

For more information on trips and activities offered by ORO Travel, visit their SustainableTrip profile.

To see more photos of the event announcing the partnership between ORO Travel and Carita Feliz, view their Facebook album.

This entry was posted on December 10, 2013 at 1:33 PM and has received 2261 views. There are currently 1 comments. Print this entry.

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What do you look for when you're choosing a vacation destination? Have you ever noticed that most popular tourism destinations are located near a body of water? Whether it's a vast blue ocean, a serene lake, or a bubbling river teeming with wildlife, water is a huge part of tourism. Not to mention the water that travelers use for drinking, showering, and other basic needs.

It's extremely important to consider the impact of your vacation on local water resources. The following tours showcase stunning waterways and ensure a light water footprint, and all of them are led by members of Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS), a Rainforest Alliance network of Earth-friendly, local tour operators.

Costa Rica:

Costa Rica Sun Tours has a "Turtles, Whales & Dolphins" tour for marine wildlife lovers.

Nicaragua:

Gray Line offers a "Water & Tourism to Protect Our Future" tour on the legendary Lake Nicaragua.

VaPues Tours offers a "Rainforest Alliance Green Itinerary" that showcases the diverse and beautiful regions of Nicaragua.

DeTour, Viajes y Cultura has a "Land Surrounded by Water" tour that features cloud forests, volcanoes, and environmental education.

Peru:

Condor Travel's "Volunteer Program: Misminay Water Project" gives travelers the opportunity to meet and work with a rural community.

Mexico:

Explora, Ecoturismo y Aventura offers a "Highlands to the Lacandon Jungle" tour that visits indigenous rainforest communities.

This entry was posted on September 24, 2013 at 12:36 PM and has received 1389 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

The island of Ometepe is quite a unique place: formed by two twin volcanoes joined by a low isthmus, giving it the shape of an hourglass, it is the largest volcanic island in a freshwater lake in the world.

There are many activities to enjoy in Ometepe: hiking the steep volcanoes, riding motorbikes, visiting waterfalls and eco-farms, swimming in the massive blue lake, and going kayaking along the Istian River– one of the most popular tourist attractions!

Istian is a sanctuary for resident and migratory birds. The river and the swamp are not large, but there are a few different canals to paddle down where you can enjoy being surrounded by rich vegetation and spotting birds, monkeys, turtles, and caimans. During the relaxing ride, you will also be treated to some of the most amazing views of the Maderas and Concepcion volcanos.

This photo is from Totoco Eco Lodge, which helps guests arrange tours on the Istian River.

This entry was posted on September 20, 2013 at 12:24 PM and has received 620 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Do you ever buy traditional handcrafts as souvenirs? A beautiful artisan-made souvenir, like this ceramic vase from Nicaragua, hand-carved and painted in the traditional pre-Columbian style, can be the best way to remember your trip for years to come.

However, heed this sustainable travel tip: make sure your purchase benefits the local artisans and their families, and not just middlemen who hike up the price and pay their suppliers a pittance. The best way to do this is to buy directly from the artisans themselves, or to buy from a nonprofit organization that funnels 100% of the proceeds to the artisans or the local community.

Photo by ORO Travel.

This entry was posted on August 1, 2013 at 7:58 PM and has received 868 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Did you know that chocolate grows on trees? Those green and yellow pods you see in the picture above are hanging from a cocoa tree, and the seeds they contain will be fermented, dried, roasted, and turned into chocolate you can buy at the grocery store! As agritourism rises in popularity, cocoa farms like this one in Nicaragua are welcoming more and more travelers who are curious about where their food comes from--and it doesn't hurt that cocoa is grown in beautiful tropical destinations! On a farm tour, you'll meet local farmers and their families and get a glimpse into authentic rural life.

This photo was taken on a tour with Vapues Tours.

This entry was posted on June 6, 2013 at 4:32 PM and has received 942 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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In 1991, Laurent Richardier traveled from France to Nicaragua to finish his studies in tropical agronomy and local development. A few years later, his education, career, and personal goals led him to stay in that country to somehow help it reemerge after the devastating civil war that had left violence, sadness, poverty, and much underdevelopment.

Richardier now owns DETOUR Viajes y Cultura, a Rainforest Alliance Verified™ tour operator that is this month's winner of our "Making a Difference" award.

He tells us more about his company's work and how he has helped his adopted country advance through sustainable tourism.

Question: How did you come up with the idea of opening a tour agency as a tool for helping local development in Nicaragua?

Richardier: In 2000, the country began offering tourism products, primarily in rural community tourism, and that's when I thought this could be the most effective vehicle for local development. This type of tourism involves local communities, it was ideal for exposing the living culture and the warmth of the Nicaraguans, and it would be a channel to help them rescue, use, and protect their natural and cultural resources. In 2001, as an inbound operator, I developed itineraries that involved experiences with community residents -- staying in their homes, fishing with local fishermen, riding with cowboys ... Thus DETOUR Viajes y Cultura was born.

Q: What is your motivation to adopt and promote sustainable tourism?

R: It's a matter of conscience. DETOUR's mission is based on the desire to maintain hope and build a better future. To do this, we must carry out more responsible economic activities, protect ecosystems, ensure that culture and local economic development exists in harmony, and that communities can endure thanks to stable local development.

Q: What inspired you to become Rainforest Alliance Verified?

R: We thought it would help us gain visibility and effectiveness as a company, and we believed that Nicaragua had the perfect conditions for offering sustainable tourism and promoting this image globally. We also needed technical assistance to work in a more sustainable and orderly way. Personally, I wanted to expand my knowledge and achieve a high level of professionalism through the training that the Rainforest Alliance offers. In addition, I knew that with this training, my company could motivate local suppliers and community partners to be more aware, more professional, and more sustainable. In the end, they could gain more benefits and receive more responsible visitors!

Q: What are some of DETOUR's key sustainability initiatives?

R: Our work on sustainability consists of many small details. Two days a year, we train freelance guides on sustainability, quality of service, and tourist awareness. We are implementing a new tool with our transportation providers to control fuel consumption and we promote "zero-carbon" tours. In Granada, we give $5 incentives to those who use bicycles instead of taxis to get to the port where they start their tour of the islands, and we encourage other hoteliers and tour operators to promote the use of bicycles to their customers.

We focus on designing increasingly sustainable excursions with packages for low environmental impact and high socio-economic impact, such as new treks and multi-day expeditions in kayak, on horseback, or by bicycle. We also analyze our itineraries each year to eliminate unnecessary travel and we include more hotels that participate in sustainability programs, particularly those that are verified by the Rainforest Alliance. In addition, we try to convince the hotel owners with whom we have worked for a long time to adopt sustainability, and we seek communities that are starting to work in tourism to help them and include them in our "cultural adventures" packages.

Finally, we are developing solidarity tourism. We have partnered with two local NGOs that work on sustainable development and poverty reduction to integrate visits to the communities and schools where they work into our itineraries. As a result, many tourists have become involved in their activities, providing volunteer labor and money for projects such as digging a well or installing a solar-powered home lighting system in a rural area. DETOUR also contributes $100 per month to a volunteer who is doing social work in the community.

Q: How do you support the sustainable development of local communities in Nicaragua?

R: We believe that the best way to help them is by generating sustainable rural tourism activities. Our duty is to include their rich cultural and natural heritage in our tourism activities, so that they can generate income and get jobs and self-employment, while we help them to make use of this heritage with the least negative impact and protect it. In the Rio Escalante-Chacocente Wildlife Refuge in Nicaragua's southern Pacific region, there is a tourism cooperative composed of former turtle egg hunters and gatherers who now protect the reserve, so we include them in all the itineraries we can! We also promote and help numerous existing social and environmental initiatives in the communities. For example, our tours include visits to women's groups that make and sell crafts, we take tourists to eat at a restaurant run by deaf-mute young people, and at the end of their stay in the country, all of our groups attend a mime and comedy show performed by children rescued from the streets.

Q: Do you collaborate with other tour operators in Nicaragua?

R: Along with our eight colleagues that belong to the Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS) program in Nicaragua, we aim to be a lobbying force before the National Assembly and the Ministry of Tourism from the perspective of sustainable businesses in order to inform policymaking or projects that promote the adoption of sustainability as a general policy for the country. This year, we developed a collaborative project that includes a plan to train national guides and tourism transport companies in sustainability; financial support to hotel suppliers who wish to obtain Rainforest Alliance verification; the creation of 100% sustainable packages and a TOPS catalog; participation in the Green Summit, a conference on sustainability in Nicaragua that will be associated with the upcoming Central American Travel Market Fair 2014; and trips with foreign journalists to show them the country's sustainable destinations and products.

Q: What are the main challenges that tour operators face in operating sustainably?

R: Positively influencing colleagues, suppliers, and community stakeholders who still have little awareness. Isolated efforts do not have major effect and so we must promote a sustainable travel collective for the country as a destination, and for that we need to talk and promote ourselves and these ideals. Our challenge as a sustainable operator is to promote and support local policies for sustainability, working together as a sector and closely with local governments.

This entry was posted on May 29, 2013 at 11:13 AM and has received 1086 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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This might be the most beautiful volcano photo we've ever seen! Concepción Volcano is one of the two volcanoes that form Ometepe Island, a popular ecotourist destination in Nicaragua. Hikers can explore the rich forests of its lower reaches, while the more adventurous can complete the 10-hour ascent to the summit and earn a spectacular 360 degree view that allows you to see both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

This entry was posted on May 24, 2013 at 10:02 AM and has received 741 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

High in the Isabelia Mountain Range in northern Nicaragua, there is a tropical cloud forest whose giant oak and fern trees date back to Jurassic times. These ancient trees provide shelter for a multitude of rare and exotic wildlife, including golden-winged warblers, pumas, and mountain lions. As World Migratory Bird Day approaches this weekend, we are celebrating this bountiful region as a haven for thousands of migratory birds that arrive each winter to escape colder northern climates.

Twenty years ago, as forests in the region were being destroyed to be replaced by coffee plantations, two people decided to save this important region. Lili Chavarría, an avid bird lover and ornithologist, and her husband Georges Duriaux, an organic coffee farmer, bought the 260-acre (120-hectare) tract of land from Lili's brother and named it the El Jaguar Private Wildlife Reserve and Organic Farm. Their vision was to create a model of sustainability based on three principles: environmental protection, sustainable production, and social responsibility.

Today, they welcome tourists and researchers to stay at their Rainforest Alliance Verified ecolodge and experience the beautiful flora and fauna that abounds in El Jaguar. Visitors have a choice of staying in one of the two-bedroom cabins or one-bedroom bungalows, or in the biological station with bunk beds. All of the accommodations have hot water and are powered by solar energy.

Visitors can see take tours of Georges and Lili's family-run sustainable coffee farm that produces high quality coffee using environmentally-friendly methods that enhances habitat for wildlife. You'll be able to check out the trees that coffee beans come from--they might look different than you'd expect! Their farm has been certified for sustainability by the Rainforest Alliance and their product was the first coffee selected by Whole Foods Market to receive the Authentic Food Artisan seal. The farm was also designated an "Important Bird Area" by the bird conservation organization BirdLife International.

El Jaguar is home to an abundance of biodiversity, including hundreds of birds, mammals, butterflies, orchids, bromeliads, and dragonflies. Researchers have catalogued all of the species they've come across in El Jaguar – which includes 285 bird species alone -- and the entire list is available on El Jaguar's website. The sheer size of the list gives you an idea of what a biologically rich area this really is! The nearby Lake Apanás is also a wonderful location for bird watching and boat tours.

For a cultural experience, travelers can visit the workshops of the black pottery artisans in Las Cureñas or make the 10-mile hike the picturesque town of San Rafael del Norte.

Georges and Lili were honored by the Rainforest Alliance as stewards of the forest for their work actively safeguarding the "lungs of our planet."

"We realized that in order to conserve our land, we needed to earn income from it," explains Georges. "I had experience with organic coffee production... [and] my wife is fascinated by ornithology and has always been a nature lover. So everything fell into place."

This entry was posted on May 10, 2013 at 11:38 AM and has received 1416 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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From the balconies of Hotel Plaza Colón in Granada, Nicaragua, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine while you take a look into the past with a charming view of the Central Park and the Cathedral of Granada.

Granada is a colorful and lively colonial city that was established in 1524 and still has a rich Spanish heritage, seen in its old and elegant architecture.

In Granada you can also enjoy the Lake Nicaragua, one of the largest and most scenic lakes in the world.

This entry was posted on May 3, 2013 at 2:51 PM and has received 412 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.