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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.

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By Thomas Enderlin

As the Costa Rican tourism industry continues to take off, one of the biggest challenges rural communities face is finding a balance between the conservation of traditional ways of life and the need for economic growth. A visionary new agrotourism project in the Dota region of Costa Rica--developed by a group of community leaders and Vancouver Island University--helps rural communities establish financial security, protect the environment and conserve their traditions.

The project is centered on a multi-day trail, known informally as the Los Santos EcoTrail. Descending through the Dota region before arriving at the Pacific Ocean in the city of Quepos, the trail links a handful of small coffee farming communities and homestays. Currently, five Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms are directly involved in the Los Santos EcoTrail project, with many others indirectly benefiting from the gradual growth of community-based ecotourism in the area.

The Dota region is world famous for its top quality coffee production. Here, Rainforest Alliance certification is helping to improve farming practices while reducing environmental impacts and providing economic and social benefits. But volatile coffee market swings and erratic climate patterns make economic diversification an important attribute in the region--and local communities are achieving this critical diversification through small-scale tourism enterprises connected to the Los Santos EcoTrail.

"We really believe in this project, and we are doing this for the future of our children," one community representative explained. "We love our rural way of life, and don't want to see that disappear."

With increasing demands for adventure and culinary tourism and an upswing of consumers interested in purchasing products featuring the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, projects like the Los Santos EcoTrail will provide opportunities for travelers to take their commitments one step further. These immersive vacations can provide a more direct connection to the origins of certified ingredients while demonstrating how farm and forestry certification benefits local rural communities and biodiversity.

On the trail, visitors also learn how local communities have survived off the land for generations. The people of Providencia still grind their shade grown coffee by hand. The people of Naranjillo let guests test their skills processing sugar cane into juice and crude molasses. Elsewhere along the journey, visitors are invited to make tortillas, learn traditional dances, and make artisanal crafts.

This model of diversified local economics is the future of sustainability. The Rainforest Alliance is currently exploring other agriculture and forestry landscapes that could benefit from small-scale sustainable agrotourism projects so that consumers can have an opportunity to travel to the places where their coffee, tea, and chocolate originate.

For more information on unique agrotourism opportunities, visit the Heart of Gold website.

Thomas Enderlin has a background in conservation, sustainable tourism, commodity trading and agriculture. He is currently based in San José, Costa Rica, where he divides his time as a project consultant, adventure travel guide, photographer, writer and cactus cultivator.

This entry was posted on January 7, 2014 at 1:03 PM and has received 1073 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

From Selva Verde Lodge's beginnings in the 1980s, it was a pioneer in supporting the local community, especially women. Deep in the lowland tropical rainforests of Sarapiquí, founders Giovanna Holbrook and Berth Carter hired members of remote local communities to work at their budding ecotourism lodge. They established a rule that staff members must retrieve their own paychecks, so that husbands could not collect their wives' earnings, helping women to gain domestic empowerment and independence.

For a long time, attending school was just a dream for Sarapiquí's poorest children because their families could not afford the cost of textbooks. Consequently, in 1993, Selva Verde Lodge partnered with JADE (Joventud Activa Desarrollo Educativo, or "Active Youth for Educational Development") to open a public library to give local children free access to the textbooks they needed. From these noble beginnings, the library evolved over the years into the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC), a robust community center that is now the local headquarters for the San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor. Today, this impressive place is a community center, conservation organization, and ecotourism operation all in one.

Travelers to the Sarapiquí region come for the multitude of nature activities available in this lush jungle setting, such as rafting on the Sarapiquí River and visiting nearby hot springs, waterfalls, and volcanoes. Twenty minutes away from SCLC is another amazing ecotourism attraction: La Selva Biological Station, one of the world's most important sites for tropical biology research. La Selva Biological Station offers accommodations in its Rainforest Alliance Verified™ ecolodge and nature tours with bilingual naturalist guides. Back at SCLC, travelers can take advantage of the center's rich cultural ties and participate in Costa Rican cooking classes, Latin dancing classes, and visits to local schools and farms.

The Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center remains the only public library in the region. It is currently implementing programs such as a children's theater camp, preschool story time, open lab computer assistance, movie days, adult literacy programs, women's empowerment workshops, and celebrations for national and international holidays, such as World Water Day.

If you're looking for a great gift for an environmentally-conscious loved one (or if you're in the generous holiday spirit yourself), think about making a donation to SCLC's library! You'd be hard pressed to find a better cause than giving the gift of books, learning, and literacy. Learn how to make a donation on SCLC's donation page.

This entry was posted on December 18, 2013 at 12:35 PM and has received 1426 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

If you're looking for a more authentic lodging experience on your way to Machu Picchu but aren't quite the camping type, staying in a local Andean village could be the perfect solution! Turismo Huilloc, a community-run tourism operation, offers comfortable homestays in a traditional community that is home to the porters of the Inca Trail and their families. With support from the TRIP Foundation, villagers participating in the homestay association upgraded their houses to include energy efficient light bulbs, low capacity electrical water heaters, and other environmentally friendly design features.

One popular activity among tourists is the "chaski" ceremony, an ancient Incan ritual of passing information between mountain villages. Travelers can stay the night or just visit for the day and experience the traditional food and customs of the Huilloc.

For more information, photos, and a diagram of a typical house, visit Turismo Huilloc's SustainableTrip profile.

This entry was posted on December 13, 2013 at 1:37 PM and has received 896 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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From the early seventeenth century to the early nineteenth century, the Spanish established a great number of Catholic missions throughout what is now northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. These settlements were built to spread the Christian faith among indigenous communities and also served as a vanguard for the expansion of Spanish settlements and mining operations. Some of these sites and colonial structures still remain and are wonderful places to visit, especially in places where they are still essential to local cultural and religious activities.

The San Ignacio mission, located in the town of San Ignacio in Baja California Sur, Mexico, is one of these alluring cultural remnants. It was founded by the Jesuit missionary Juan Bautista de Luyando in 1728, and about 60 years later the Jesuits built an impressive church that is known as one of the most beautiful of all Baja's mission churches for its elaborate facade, engraved stone plaques, and plaster ornamentation. This church is largely in its original condition thanks to a 1976 restoration and is used to this day by the local community for masses, weddings, funerals, and daily worship.

Ecoturismo Kuyimá, a sustainable tour operator managed by a community council consisting 95% of local people, offers tours to San Ignacio and its church.

(Source, source)

This entry was posted on December 6, 2013 at 11:35 AM and has received 1154 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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International travel has grown astronomically in recent years. Last year, the number of international arrivals reached 1,035 million! While this is great news for the tourism industry, it also represents a challenge for businesses – how to attract all these new tourists to my country, to my destination, to my hotel, to buy my services?

Every year, dozens of travel shows, exhibits, and conferences are organized around the world. These events give hotels, domestic tour operators, airlines, tourism boards, and car rental companies the opportunity to display their goods and services to a large crowd of key business decision-makers, including tourism leaders, international tour operators, the media, and companies that arrange incentive trips, conferences, and events.

During travel shows, tourism trends are exposed, destinations are promoted, business deals are closed, and like-minded businesses share ideas with each other and learn new ones from industry experts. The expertly designed tours that you book for your dream vacations are quite often born at travel shows.

The Travel Mart Latin America (TMLA) conference is the biggest and most important travel show in the region. It was established over 30 years ago, and since then has become a great opportunity for the region to display the attractions of its various tourist destinations. The event brings together more than 600 tourism services suppliers and 200 buyers from 25 different consumer countries like the United States, England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, South Africa, and the Czech Republic.

Recognizing Travel Mart's key role in the tourism industry, the Rainforest Alliance decided to collaborate with the fair organizer to use Travel Mart as an opportunity to promote sustainable tourism. The organization helps differentiate Latin American sustainable tourism providers at the fair, link sustainable suppliers and buyers interested in green tourism, and educate participants through seminars on topics relevant to responsible tourism.

The Rainforest Alliance has participated in TMLA events in Colombia, Chile, Peru, Brazil, and, most recently, Ecuador.

At the 2013 TMLA held in Quito, with the help from the Rainforest Alliance more than 50 sustainable business entrepreneurs participated as did 12 members of the Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability program. These business people have been trained in the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable tourism program and are committed to mitigating tourism's impact on threatened landscapes and cultural treasures and providing sustainable livelihoods in the local communities where they work. At the event, hotel owners and TOPS members promoted their sustainable accommodations and services, and shared their innovative conservation efforts.

In addition, with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Rainforest Alliance organized a seminar on the potential of sustainable tourism to have a positive impact in protected areas. There were more than 50 participants, including officials from the Ecuadorian ministries of tourism and the environment and representatives from the private sector worldwide, who shared and discussed their different perspectives on the potential of sustainable tourism and its impacts on the ecosystems and communities near protected areas.

Participants also highlighted the increasing demand for sustainable tourism services. "We are receiving more and more customers who demand authentic experiences and more sophisticated sites and green consumers who are looking for sustainable products," said Antonio del Rosal of Adventure Travel.

According to the TMLA organizer, the event gathered 70 tourism and travel journalists from around the world and 7,000 pre-scheduled appointments were carried out during the two days of business sessions. The fair visitors also participated in different activities and events related to tourism in Quito.

Katy Puga of the Rainforest Alliance was encouraged by the event's massive reach and emphasis on sustainability. "It's truly inspiring to see so many key business and government leaders taking sustainability seriously and recognizing the key role of tourism in protecting our planet."

This entry was posted on October 30, 2013 at 6:41 PM and has received 616 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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One of the best parts of travel is meeting and sharing experiences with local people. They are the guardians of your destination's and historical treasures; they are the voices of their country's rich culture and folklore; and they are the best dancers, chefs, and tour guides for those who want to experience a place authentically.

Today we want to share with you a series of wonderful photographs of the local people of Port Antonio, Jamaica. Port Antonio, on the northeastern coast, offers beautiful beaches, crystalline turquoise waters surrounded by densely forested mountains, and beautiful waterfalls. Here you'll also find the famous Blue Lagoon where they filmed the classic 1980s film of the same name.

The Mockingbird Hill Hotel invited talented photographer Sam Diephuis to visit attractions in Port Antonio and photograph its people. These are some of the results of that trip:

A beautiful local cook prepares lunch.

Who wants fresh coconut water?

The captain.

Fruits, vegetables, and a big smile.

A man making delicious jerk chicken on Winnifred Beach.

A talented hairdresser wows her client.

Kids making the most of Winnifred Beach.

Other children prefer to play football in the neighborhood square.

An artisan sells local crafts and souvenirs.

A fisherman and his colorful catch of the day.

A big thanks to Mockingbird Hill Hotel and Sam Diephuis for sharing these wonderful images with us so that we can showcase the beauty of the people of Porto Antonio to travelers all over the world!

This entry was posted on October 1, 2013 at 7:56 PM and has received 883 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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Do you want to see the beautiful Mexican Caribbean? Perhaps watch whales in the Pacific near the wonderful Baja California peninsula? Or learn about the rich and varied culture of the country by visiting rural destinations and archaeological sites? Mexico has all this and much more to offer. Better yet, most of these places have sustainable accommodation options to suit the needs of every tourist.

Since 2005, the Rainforest Alliance has been promoting sustainable tourism in Mexico, primarily as an active member of the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI). Also, there are now 81 tourism companies active in the Rainforest Alliance verification program in Mexico, ranging from small hotels to large resorts, mainly in Mexico City and the Mexican Caribbean. These companies recently received the S Distinction awarded by the Mexican Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR) to companies committed to sustainability practices.

The Rainforest Alliance has been working with the AMResorts hotel chain to improve the sustainability performance of its hotels in Mexico. AMResorts has six luxury hotel brands with 32 properties in Mexico, Jamaica, Curacao, and the Dominican Republic that cater to all kinds of guests, from young families and newlyweds on honeymoons to adventure travelers.

Thanks to this collaboration, AMResorts has made impressive investments in a number of wildlife conservation programs and enterprises designed to benefit local communities. For example, Dreams Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa has released more than 300,000 sea turtle hatchlings through its Dreaming of Freedom habitat protection program. Dreams Puerto Aventuras Resort & Spa provides space in its gift shop where the neighboring Maya community sells artisanal products such as jellies and honeys. At Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa, staff are motivated to start their own businesses selling services to the resort, such as car washes, barber shops, and convenience stores.

More than 10,000 of AMResort's employees in Mexico are receiving online training in best management practices for sustainable tourism so that they themselves become agents of change in the hotels, as well as in their homes and communities. This training will be extended to other Mexican companies verified by the Rainforest Alliance.

The Rainforest Alliance is also working with the Mexican government's Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to promote sustainable tourism practices among small and medium-sized ecotourism businesses, mainly in rural communities, which can apply for certification under their national standard. These small businesses are found throughout the country, from the Vizcaino Reserve in Baja California Sur to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on the Yucatan Peninsula. All offer varied and invaluable natural and cultural wealth and are key to preserving traditional Mexican cultures and valuable ecosystems. Moreover, these small businesses are the main or only source of income for these communities and families.

To date, the Rainforest Alliance has assessed the sustainable performance of nearly 40 tourism businesses in 11 ecotourism circuits in Mexico, and has trained about 94 people from 35 companies on planning and sustainable management of their businesses and ecosystems. As a result, businesses not only improved their practices, but some of them also became Rainforest Alliance Verified^TM , which means that they met the Rainforest Alliance's standards for sustainable tourism businesses.

The next time you visit Mexico be sure to look for businesses – whether small rural inns, medium-size hotels, or luxury resorts – with the seal of the Mexican Ecotourism Standards, the S Distinction, or the Rainforest Alliance Verified^TM mark. We make it easy for you – you can find a list of them on SustainableTrip.org!

This entry was posted on September 18, 2013 at 3:26 PM and has received 1011 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

The Amazon is one of the most famous travel destinations in the world, its very name synonymous with wilderness, nature, and adventure. It's no surprise that this natural wonder of the world attracts so many travelers each year--it just may be the ultimate ecotourism experience! Here are some fascinating facts about the incredible Amazon:

1. One in ten known animal species on Earth exists in Amazonia.

Though the Amazon covers a relatively small portion of the Earth's surface, it is extremely rich in biodiversity. Many of its species are so highly specialized that they live nowhere else in the world, and we are continually discovering new species that we didn't previously know existed. For example, since just 1990, seven new species of monkeys and 12 new species of fish have been identified!

The rainforest is also home to the smallest monkey in the world, the pygmy marmoset, and the largest eagle in the world, the harpy eagle. Some other interesting animals of the Amazon are capybaras, sloths, pink river dolphins, and emperor tamarins.

2. The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by volume, with a total flow greater than the top ten rivers worldwide combined.

One-fifth of the world's entire fresh water supply is found in the Amazon Basin. It contains more fish species than the entire Atlantic Ocean and the largest number of freshwater fish species on Earth, including more than 25 species of piranha, electric eels, and pirarucus, the largest freshwater fish.

3. The Amazon is both the "lungs" and the "thermostat" of our planet.

The Amazon rainforest's trees and other plants continuously recycle carbon dioxide into oxygen, producing 20% of the world's oxygen supply. It is also one of the world's primary carbon reservoirs. Through the sequestration and storage of carbon dioxide, the rainforest acts as the world's thermostat, regulating temperatures and global weather patterns.

4. The Amazon rainforest helps us fight cancer.

Of the 3,000 plants the U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified as useful in the treatment of cancer, 70% are found only in rainforests. Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients found in the cancer-fighting drugs available on the market today come from organisms found only in the rainforest. And only about 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their medicinal properties.

5. There are more than 200 indigenous groups still living in the rainforest – some of which have never had contact with the outside world.

Many of these indigenous groups still live the centuries' old traditions of their ancestors, eschewing modern technology in favor of a life more in tune with nature. Some communities have opened their doors to visitors, starting lodges and tour companies to share their knowledge of the Amazon with travelers.

6. The Amazon rainforest represents more than half of the remaining rainforests in the entire world, and it's shrinking.

Once, rainforests covered 14% of the earth's land surface. Now, they cover 5-7%, and that area is decreasing rapidly. Scientists predict that if deforestation continues at the current rate, the last remaining rainforests on our planet could be consumed in less than 40 years!

Do your part to protect the rainforest by traveling sustainably. Many hotels participate in reforestation projects, and even get their guests involved with their sustainability efforts.

Are you ready for your Amazon adventure yet?

This entry was posted on August 14, 2013 at 6:32 PM and has received 1857 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.