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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 844 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

The Andes Mountains form some of the most beautiful natural scenery in South America. The larger-than-life landscapes will leave you in awe, whether you're exploring on foot or on horseback. Where this picture was taken, in Peru, temperatures will range from a mild 65 degrees Fahrenheit in the lowest valleys to a frigid 32 degrees among the snow-dusted peaks.

This photo was taken on a tour with Condor Travel, a member of Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS).

This entry was posted on November 22, 2013 at 2:15 PM and has received 665 views. There are currently 0 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.

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Would you like to visit some of Costa Rica's most popular eco-attractions? The Rainforest Alliance's annual "Picture Our Planet" photo contest gives you the chance to win a trip for two to Arenal Volcano, the famous Monteverde cloud forest, and the stunning beaches of Manuel Antonio.

Search through all of your travel photos and submit your best under any of these categories: iconic destinations, forests, water, wildlife, people and culture, or adventure tourism.

Don't miss the chance to visit Costa Rica and enjoy its lush forests, beautiful lagoons, hot springs, breathtaking cliffs, and white sand beaches. To submit your photos and to get more information, visit the Rainforest Alliance photo contest page. All photos must be submitted before June 30, so start digging through your photo archives!.

This entry was posted on May 17, 2013 at 3:41 PM and has received 386 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Being a sustainable traveler doesn't mean that you need to worry about making reservations, finding transportation, and planning activities. As more and more travelers are concerned with reducing their impact on the environment and supporting the welfare of the local communities they visit, the number of tour operators that offer sustainable travel packages have also grown.

A responsible tour operator is one that seeks to establish a sustainable supply chain. What does that mean? It means that they work with accommodations, car rental and transportation companies, food services, and even destinations and activities that have been certified or verified by recognized sustainable tourism programs.

To prove that their supply chains are sustainable, tour operators themselves can also become certified or verified. For example, to earn a two-year Rainforest Alliance verification, in the first year, at least 30% of a tour operator's supply chain must be sustainable; in year two, at least 50% must be sustainable. Other certification programs have similar criteria.

When you are researching and getting quotes from responsible tour operators, be sure to ask if they only include sustainable companies in their itineraries, assuming that they are available in your chosen destination.

Another key feature of responsible tour operators is that they demonstrate their commitment with their own corporate sustainability practices. Like any company, they can improve their environmental and social footprints by reducing their consumption of water, energy and other resources, recycling, using clean technologies, hiring local staff, conserving biodiversity, respecting cultures while traveling, and promoting these practices and values among their employees and customers.

Ask tour operators about their sustainable practices and visit their websites to inquire about their sustainability policies. And, you can go even further to ensure that their commitments are real. We make it easy for you! Choose one of the fantastic tour operators that are listed in SustainableTrip.org. Every tour operator in our directory is certified or Rainforest Alliance verified, which means that they have undergone strict assessments confirming their compliance with the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, which are the minimum requirements that a company should meet to be sustainable.

The sustainable tourism boom has also prompted tour operators to demonstrate their collective responsibility by creating professional associations with the common goal of mitigating their impact and helping to conserve the ecosystems upon which the tourism industry depends, and to help provide sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS) is a specialized global platform for tour operators that are working with the Rainforest Alliance to promote sustainable tourism in their respective markets. These entrepreneurs are helping to transform tourism business practices to make the industry environmentally and socially responsible, as well as profitable.

The Tour Operators' Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development (TOI) is another example. This community was developed with support from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and it is committed to implementing joint activities and disseminating methods and practices that will make sustainable development a foundation of the tourism industry.

So, if on your next vacation, you'd like a tour operator to do the planning for you, be sure to visit the list of tour operators on SustainableTrip.org and rest assured that they are all doing the right thing to conserve the environment and support local communities!

This entry was posted on August 21, 2012 at 11:27 AM and has received 1143 views. There are currently 1 comments. Print this entry.

Wednesday, September 28th marked a special day for the Rainforest Alliance. In the beautiful, colonial town of Antigua, Guatemala, the new TOPS initiative was launched. TOPS stands for Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability and unites Rainforest Alliance Verified^TM inbound tour operators in Latin America and the Caribbean with international outbound tour operators, creating a global network that aims to promote and support sustainable tourism practices.

The event brought together tour operators and Rainforest Alliance staff members from all over the world. Inspiring speeches were given by Rainforest Alliance President Tensie Whelan (you can watch below) and sustainable tourism vice president Ronald Sanabria and presentations were given by marketing and sustainable tourism experts. The entire event was covered live on Twitter (posts can be viewed at #TOPS).

"The long-term aim is to help the industry become socially and environmentally responsible as well as profitable, encouraging tourism practices that protect ecosystems, and improve the lives of individuals and communities," explained Ronald Sanabria.

To become a TOPS member, interested tour operators must comply with the following conditions:

Inbound operators:

- Apply for Rainforest Alliance verification
- Comply with at least 50 percent of the program's requirements
- Commit to reaching a minimum of 70 percent compliance by the following year.

Outbound operators:

- Sign a memorandum of understanding with the Rainforest Alliance
- At least 30 percent of their suppliers must be sustainable
- That figure must increase to a minimum of 50 percent by the following year.

Tour operators joined from Latin America, Europe and the United States.More information on benefits and entry requirements can be found in the official press release.

Launched one day after World Tourism Day, this network marks another significant step forward in uniting the industry to promote a more sustainable way of traveling.

This entry was posted on September 30, 2011 at 5:51 PM and has received 541 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.