We appreciate the destinations that we offer and know that their history, culture, communities, wildlife, and influence are all extremely important pieces that need to be preserved.  We at Yampu are a sustainable company that works towards promoting grassroots efforts and environmentally conscious travel wherever possible.  Our company and employees put forth their best efforts to recommend locally owned and operated hotels and Eco-resorts.  When clients are receptive, and most are, we strive to incorporate community visits that allow them to build a deeper understanding and appreciation of the places they visit.

But it does not end there; our tours always use local guides and to create an authentic experience.  We choose to consistently use locals not only because of their deep knowledge and insight into their own community but to offer them empowerment in an industry dominated by multinational corporations.

The local guides are able to offer recommendations, share passionate stories, and truly connect you to the lifestyles of their communities.  Furthermore, using the local guides allocates money into the community from our clients.

Yampu is offering Sustainable Trips as part of the Rainforest Alliance week that runs from September 19- 23 2011.  These trips are being offered at a 15% promotional rate until December 15th, 2011.  These Sustainable Trips have been created to include accommodations that are approved of by the Rainforest Alliance.  The tours also include excursions that promote community awareness, foster sustainable education, educate about the local ecosystem and wildlife, and offer opportunities to give back to the local community.  We have selected three countries that we believe to be leaders in the sustainable tourism movement in Latin America: Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru

Costa Rica Sustainable Tours

Costa Rica is a nature loving country that embraces a grass-roots movement for sustainable and ecological tourism.  Costa Rica has begun to remove itself from the big chain resorts and begun to foster smaller company and family-owned hotels and Eco-resorts that take deep pride in their location.  These smaller accommodations employee a certain percentage of locals and work hard to preserve the community and environment they love deeply.

Ecuador Sustainable Tours

Ecuador has created partnerships within the local Amazonian communities to teach the locals skills that enable them to run Eco-lodges.  These community-run lodges both protect and promote the fragile environment by teaching visitors; this practice also creates an economical infrastructure into an otherwise isolated community.  In the Galapagos Ecuador’s government works to constantly update and revise the rules of the Galapagos National Parks.  Ecuador is very aware of the delicacy of the Galapagos and creates strict procedures to respond and protect to the amount of tourism the archipelago attracts.  While they still have some work to do in order to fully preserve the Galapagos, we always see them trying to obtain sustainability.

Peru Sustainable Tours

Peru has one of the most well-preserved areas of the areas of the Amazon with many carefully constructed sustainable lodges.  The people of Peru are a very serious and organized people with a highly dedicated work ethic.  Just recently there have been many restrictions placed on preserving trails and even Machu Picchu itself to sustain the ruins for generations to come.  The Peruvians and the Shamans, as part of their ethical upbringing, can often be spotted working with visitors to better the community.  There are several organizations in Peru that work within the communities in the Andes, as well to provide support for these communities to foster sustainable tourism experiences and accommodations for its visitors.

Tags: