Turismo Comunitario
Community-Based Tourism in Latin America
Tourism should benefit everyone – travellers, businesses, and local communities alike. Turismo Comunitario (english: community-based tourism) is a form of travel where visitors stay in rural areas to engage directly with local people and experience their daily lives, culture, and traditions in an authentic way. At the same time, it creates new income opportunities, supports sustainable development, and contributes to environmental conservation.
Working Together for Community Tourism
TourCert actively supports this approach and has been involved in the Turismo Comunitario project in Ecuador since 2017. Following its success, a follow-up project was launched to expand the concept to neighbouring Peru and Colombia. Project activities are coordinated by the non-profit organisations kate – Environment & Development and the VSocial Foundation, with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). At the heart of the project are indigenous communities in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. TourCert contributes its expertise in sustainability, supporting the development of community-based tourism initiatives.
The Goal: Joint Development Towards Economic Independence
Community-based tourism has a long tradition in the Andean region as part of the indigenous movement. It offers travellers authentic insights into local life, whether through guided hikes, hands-on agricultural activities, workshops in traditional crafts such as pottery and weaving, or shared cooking experiences. For local communities, participation in tourism is key. It allows them to preserve and share their cultural heritage while generating additional income alongside traditional livelihoods such as farming and livestock. Ultimately, it strengthens their economic independence.
Guiding Principles
- Strengthening community self-governance through locally managed tourism enterprises
- Promoting solidarity-based economic models and shared benefits, including fair employment opportunities
- Valuing and protecting natural environments and biodiversity as a core livelihood strategy
- Reinforcing social identity through respect for local culture and intercultural exchange
- Fostering quality standards and innovation, enhancing service quality, guest satisfaction, and business development
Rooted in the everyday realities of local communities
Although efforts to establish community tourism have existed in the Andean countries for years, progress has been limited and sustainable business models have often been lacking. This is precisely where the project comes in. TourCert and the project partners support communities in developing organisational and marketing models tailored specifically to community tourism. At the core is a dedicated certification system with clearly defined criteria. Regular workshops and on-site visits provide practical guidance and capacity building.
Step by Step
Supporting Local Communities
Understanding the starting point
Developing measurable standards
Launching pilot processes
Learning from Experience
Sharing and Connecting
TURICOM
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A Shared Success Story
Milestones in Community Tourism
Since the project began in May 2017, significant progress has been made:
Criteria catalogue
A new set of criteria was developed in close collaboration with local partners and communities. It was adapted to regional and country-specific contexts, ensuring long-term applicability beyond the project’s duration and enabling future certification of community tourism initiatives across Latin America.
Pilot communities
The enhanced organisational and certification model is currently being implemented in multiple pilot communities. Yunguilla in Ecuador became the first indigenous community to receive the TourCert certification at the end of 2018, setting a benchmark for others.
Scaling and transfer
Following successful testing in Ecuador, the TourCert system has been expanded to other Latin American countries, with the establishment of an Andean network.
Multiplication
The cross-border network of partner organisations, associations, and public institutions is gaining strong traction. Community tourism initiatives are widely accepted and generating increasing interest, with additional communities seeking to join.
Join the Initiative
Community-based tourism represents a new way of experiencing destinations – authentic, unfiltered, and a strong addition to any travel portfolio. To market these experiences, collaboration with international tour operators, including those from Germany, is actively encouraged.
Interested in working together or learning more? Get in touch with us.
Do you have any questions?
We’d be happy to discuss our services with you and help you find the solution that best fits your needs. We look forward to hearing from you!
Angela Giraldo
Partner I Head of Empowerment