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New project started August 2020. La Paz on Foot is working with chefs from GUSTU restaurant to arrange trips to rural communities where chefs will cook alongside local cooks and share a meal with guests.

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This initiative worked with 15 restaurants in Bolivia and Peru to educate guests about the origins of Andean crops.

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Tuni Community Covid Solidarity Gofundme Campaign

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Tuni Community Covid Solidarity Gofundme Campaign

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Gofundme campaign to raise solidarity funds for biosecurity measures in llama and alpaca herding community in Cordillera Real, Bolivia

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Forest Farm Plan for Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

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Forest Farm Plan for Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

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25 participant workshop at Adventure Travel Trade Association annual summit in Gothenburg, Sweden

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The Yungas of La Paz: A Butterfly Paradise*

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The Yungas of La Paz: A Butterfly Paradise*

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June 2013
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The Yungas of La Paz - A Butterfly Paradise

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Collaboration with Alexander Coffee to introduce lesser known grains into menu.

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Golden, Colorado

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Publicity for a 12 day tour of Andean Farms and Food Systems in Peru and Bolivia...

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In order to help conserve the millennial food and farming systems of the Central Andes, La Paz on Foot has launched a new Andean Food & Farms Tour. Designed to get participants directly engaged with farmers, markets, restaurants, local farmers organizations and rural communities, the tour starts in Lima, Peru and finished in La Paz, Bolivia, traversing the Andes from coast to cordillera and even managing to get folks up into Macchu Picchu, an agricultural wonder to itself!

According to La Paz on Foot's Director of Programs, Stephen Taranto, the tour "hopes to provide additional incentives for small farmers and business owners in the Central Andes to keep doing what they are already doing and perhaps with even greater commitment and more benefits."

The Central Andes are known for their great diversity of cultures and landscapes, however it is less well known that the region is the birthplace of many of the world's most important crops, including the potato and quinoa. However, rural to urban migration, climate change and changing consumer attitudes are causing the loss of agricultural knowledge and agro-biodiversity, as well as the abandonment of traditional practice.

"The people, places, farms and markets visited during the tour," comments Stephen, "are all committed to the conservation of Andean food and farms. By visiting them, we can contribute to their economic stability and also to the conservation of regional farming practices. Plus, we can have a fantastic adventure traveling through some of the world's most spectacular landscapes and sharing delicious, authentic and interesting meals. A positive experience for everyone!"
Contributing members are responsible for the accuracy of content contributed to the Member News section of AdventureTravelNews.

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Andean Food & Farms Tour Supports Sustainable Food and Farming Systems in the Central Andes

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In order to help conserve the millennial food and farming systems of the Central Andes, La Paz on Foot has launched a new Andean Food & Farms Tour. Designed to get participants directly engaged with farmers, markets, restaurants, local farmers organizations and rural

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Agritourism Gatherings: A virtual series for farm, food, and travel communities (November 2020)

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Indigenous & Tribal Perspectives on Agritourism

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Title: Agritourism and conservation of neglected and underutilized native Andean crops in Santiago de Okola, Bolivia. (Available March 2021 in https://www.routledge.com/Issues-in-Agricultural-Biodiversity/book-series/ECIAB)

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Title: Tasting the Results of a Joint Effort (June 2010)

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How to Talk About Climate Change with Clients and Colleagues 

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How to Talk About Climate Change with Clients and Colleagues 

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In Adventure Travel News (August 2019)

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There is not much to look forward to when we talk about climate change. In the adventure travel industry, it is a very different kind of awe to look out over a spectacular glaciated mountain range or colorful coral reef and quietly consider - much less talk about - how much they've changed, what they will look like in 20 or 30 years, who's to blame for their accelerated transformation, and who will continue to be affected by their destruction. Sometimes it seems that, as the science on and our awareness about climate change expands, whether from the relentless barrage of apocalyptic reports or from direct experiences with its effects, what we most urgently need to be addressing right now can be the hardest thing to talk about.

But whether we want to or not, we must talk about the oversized, dirty elephant in the room: climate change (also being referred to as the climate crisis). Our livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems and resilient communities to thrive, and we must start having these complicated conversations now. Further, if we want what we talk about to be a part of the complicated, multi-faceted solutions needed to get us out of such a dire situation, we have to be smart and thoughtful about the best way to share our concerns, experiences, and ideas with our clients, colleagues, and even families and friends.

In fact, talking about climate change can be a positive experience if approached and handled in the right way. It can be affirming for our local partners to talk about changing weather patterns in their communities, and it can lead to realizing common goals, beliefs, and concerns across continents and cultures. It can also be a moment of reckoning for visitors from high-emissions economies or lifestyles to come face to face with real people from low-emissions economies, who often and rightly argue they bear less of a responsibility for the massive increases in greenhouse gases yet are the most greatly affected.

So, how can we talk about such a complex and potentially frightening issue - an issue with many nuances and arguments for both action and inaction? How can we take advantage of our role as interpreters and, in some cases, partners in the conservation and protection of cultural and natural resources to continue creating resilient ecosystems and communities? How can we honestly and openly talk about climate change?

Here are a few tips and tricks that might come in handy for adventure travel businesses to use as guides and launchpads for conversations with clients and colleagues. They may or may not apply to your role in the chain of creating and providing transformative experiences for travelers, but one thing about the present climate crisis is certain: It is affecting every single aspect of our planet, so if this information isn't of use on the trail, it will certainly be of use somewhere else in your life.

Start With The Basics

There are thousands of sources of information on climate change available, from informal discussions with farmers and web resources from organizations dedicated to studying and addressing our changing climate, to the United Nations, tasked with supporting research and initiatives around the globe in partnership with a variety of stakeholders on the ground.

All this information can feel overwhelming, so before launching a plan to communicate about climate change with others, familiarize yourself with the general facts. To navigate the negotiations and debates about how to tackle the problem, start by reviewing basic vocabulary related to the issue. This grounds your understanding about climate change and gives you confidence to help others understand as well.

For example, what is the difference between climate change and global warming? And what does PPM mean? Remember that not everyone in the adventure tourism orbit uses the terms and concepts prevalent in Western societies' data-based approaches that dominate the web and other forums. Farmers speak about the changes in their own ways, as do fishers, small-island nation residents, Indigenous peoples, youth, and so forth. It is important that we listen to their stories and the ways and words they use to describe shifts in their environments.

Go Local First

At this point, most people with direct connections to the land and sea are aware of how their local climate is changing. Ask them to share their observations and experiences. This may be in the form of informal discussions with local tour operators during field visits or during conversations that take place when tourists are visiting them. Everyone likes to talk about the weather, and in our line of business it is something we are always thinking about anyway, so casual conversations with our hotel partners, field guides, local farmers we visit, and drivers already navigating treacherous roads and waterways are a direct and clear source of information about how their landscapes are affected.

Leading such everyday exchanges to the more complicated topic of catastrophic climate change can inform our risk management plans and practices. It can also help us convey how climate change impacts the places and people with whom we work. Encourage adventure travel guides and tour leaders to check in with the people they interact with during their work. These on-the-ground connections are in a position to share the environmental changes in a way that accurately represent the local communities' perspectives and can help facilitate meaningful conversations about the issue between guests and hosts.

Understand Your Audience

At its heart, the travel industry is about engaging with the new, the highest, the longest, the farthest, and perhaps the strangest and most bizarre. What else so intrinsically centers around bringing people together in a landscape and experiencing what is unique or surprising or superlative about a place and its inhabitants? When it comes to inserting complicated issues into what is often a transformational and (hopefully) positive experience for visitors, it is essential that we understand, to the greatest extent possible, where they are coming from in both a literal and figurative sense.

Some of us may have clients or colleagues who are decision makers at large investment banks or agro-businesses while others of us may work as backpacking guides. Still others of us may be responsible for our own company's fleet of buses, jeeps, and boats. In whatever capacity we work, we can share our concern for the climate in a way that conveys a sense of community and urgency about a crisis that may be addressed in ways that are still unknown. When we design itineraries, set off guiding on a cross-country trek, or meet with our fleet managers, ask those around you how they understand and are affected by climate change. This will help with deciding when and how to broach the subject.

If you're interested in collaborating on a mitigation or adaptation project within your company or with a partner, local community, or other audience, prepare yourself for inspiring collective action. Do you want to ask your supervisor to invest in solar for your office? Are you convinced an all-electric vehicle fleet is the best way to address greenhouse gas emissions? Do you want your clients to know your home is being affected daily by rising tides?

If nothing else, initiate a conversation about others' perspectives on the subject before carrying your vision forward. Doing so allows you to present your ideas in a way that complements theirs, leads to a successful collaboration, or is, at the very least, a meaningful exchange of ideas.

Speak From Your Own Experiences

Everyone is affected by climate change regardless of how protected we might consider ourselves. Stories about what is happening on a daily basis on the ground are an essential component for building concern, consensus, and action about the urgency of the climate crisis. Have you been directly affected? Do you know someone who has been or who may be soon? How is the weather changing where you live? How is your landscape predicted to change over time? It is not hard to find someone, something, or somewhere close to you that is under pressure from climate change.

Starting a conversation with a personal story is a natural way to begin talking about climate change. We all seek to speak from the heart, and we appreciate and respect others who do the same. It is also harder to dismiss or forget these stories when they're tied to known people and places. Whether you tell your story hundreds of times or only occasionally, you'll make a greater contribution to how your audience understands climate change when you make it personal.

Share Solutions

This is one way to step out of the seemingly dire reality of the climate crisis. Say what we will about how close to the edge we are, there are countless intrepid souls, companies, schools, organizations, movements, and governments hard at work to do something about it.

Again, your own experiences can be a starting point for this conversation. Your contributions may seem insignificant (sharing your personal commitment to cycling instead of driving) or fairly grandiose (establishing an emissions off-setting program for travel- and work-related contributions to greenhouse gases), but no effort is too small. In fact, some have surprising multiplier effects. For example, the integration of solar ovens in food preparation has had a major impact on emissions produced by burning firewood in rural areas, which makes for a fascinating story with relatively easy replication.

Additionally, incorporating time for on-the-ground partners to share their solutions adds value to visitor experiences, affirms the practitioners' solutions, and builds community around the many ways to address climate change.

Take Action and Brag About It

Action leads to more action, so share what you've been doing to address the problem. Have you added an electric vehicle to your fleet? Have you found providers investing in solar energy systems for their hotel or restaurant? Are you supporting a multi-year reforestation project? Let the world know! There is no time like the present to share stories and ideas that can have massive ripple effects.

There are, of course, an overwhelming array of channels where you can talk about your work: with colleagues at trade shows and conferences, at local speaking events, in round-table discussions with peers, with clients on trips, and through social media, blog posts, photo essays, and more. Proudly and openly share your successes; someone else might hear what you say and build on the idea in their own context.

Conclusion

Even for those of us who have fully and fearfully recognized the seriousness of the climate crisis, talking about it remains a challenge. We are all in some way complicit in the problem, and, as a result, need to be a part of the solution. That's a heavy realization. Further complicating the matter is the degree to which any one person, community, city, or country is responsible for the changes. This can lead to accusations, anger, resentment, and guilt. For those whose greenhouse emissions contributions are relatively low, they may understandably believe high contributors should bear more of the responsibility.

But, wherever we fall on that continuum and whatever our capacity to be a part of the solution, we need to find spaces and places to talk about climate change and the problems it's causing and how each of us can be a part of the transition to sustainability. Climate change is happening here and now. The science and experiences of millions around the world don't leave us any alternative but to act.
Author Stephen Taranto will lead a Climate Action Walk and Talk during the Adventure Travel World Summit. Anyone interested in continuing the discussion about climate change and solutions for the adventure travel industry are encouraged to sign up for the one-day Climate Action Leadership Studio being held 20 September 2019.

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How To Talk About Climate Change with Clients and Colleagues

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There is not much to look forward to when we talk about climate change. In the adventure travel industry, it is a very different kind of awe to look out over a spectacular glaciated mountain range or colorful coral reef

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Quebec City, Canada (Jan 2016)

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March 2014
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www.santiagodeokola.com

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Kamisaki! Thank you for visiting our community's website. To learn more about us, our agro-tourism project and how to visit us, please click on the menu buttons above. We would love for you to visit us!

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Bolivia | Santiago de Okola Community-based Agro-tourism | Bolivia

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Kamisaki! Thank you for visiting our community's website. To learn more about us, our agro-tourism project and how to visit us, please click on the menu buttons above. We would love for you to visit us!

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www.lapazonfoot.com

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June 2012

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The Andes Make Life Taste Better Radio Programs

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The Andes Make Life Taste Better Radio Programs

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Supplementary radio programs about the Andes Make Life Taste Better project for local audiences.

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Santiago de Okola Community Museum Interpretive Panels

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Santiago de Okola Community Museum Interpretive Panels

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This is one of six panels designed for a community museum focused on the agricultural history of a farming village in the highlands of Bolivia.

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Frontline Medical Workers Gofundme Campaign

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Frontline Medical Workers Gofundme Campaign

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Solidarity campaign to raise funds for preparing meals for frontline medical workers in La Paz, Bolivia.

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MARSIA TAHA, JEFA DE COCINA DE GUSTU, CON LOS TRES SOUS CHEFS, KENZO HIROSE, CHRISTIAN GUTIÉRREZ Y MAURICIO ZÁRATE by PATRICIO CROOKER_138

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What We Are Losing, What We are Learning: Early Reflections from Bolivia During the 2020 Pandemic

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What We Are Losing, What We are Learning: Early Reflections from Bolivia During the 2020 Pandemic

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In Adventure Travel News (May 2020)

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By Stephen Taranto, Sendas Altas | La Paz on Foot
In our line of work, it is a challenge to write a headline that comes across as negative. After all, our ambition is to share the unique, superlative, positive and perhaps even transformative aspects of the natural and cultural landscapes covering our magnificent planet. But in this brand new age of COVID-19, it's tough to find many silver linings in the clouds hanging over travel and tourism. So many of us have worked so hard for so many years and "poof" it all seems to be on the verge of blowing away in the plague-stricken winds now circling the globe, winds that only seem to exacerbate many of the various pre-existing conflicts and inequalities that have worsened in recent years.

We stand to lose so much in this new, evolving reality, but at the same time, and despite how difficult it might be to think forward right now, we also stand to learn a great deal about our particular weaknesses and strengths and how we might have a fighting chance to make it through. Through to exactly what is hard to say at this point, but there will be a day when we can say that the crests of new coronavirus cases and the associated loss of life in indigenous and rural communities, cities, regions and countries around the world begins to fall and the severity of the pandemic is in decline.

When I think about Bolivia and the greater Central Andes region, where our company Sendas Altas works, I can think of so many things that we will lose if travel and tourism is severely impacted or disappears in the economic and cultural transformations that are inevitable in the coming months and years. To be sure, some of those things might be good to lose and while I don't want to paint over the negative impacts travel has on the planet and its natural and cultural communities it would be dishonest to ignore the fact that tourism can cause harm.

Many travel experiences, for example, have extremely high energy costs and thus contribute to climate change and there are clear links between some kinds of tourism and human and wildlife trafficking, among other harmful practices. Overtourism is wreaking havoc on hundreds of natural and cultural heritage sites around the world and problems such as food waste and the unfettered use of plastics are lingering and growing challenges for us all. As practitioners of responsible tourism, we know and are concerned about such activities but all the same and in comparison to economic activities such as mining and industrial agriculture the positive impacts far outweigh the negative ones, calling us to do better.

So what are we afraid of losing? The list is a long one. Without tourism, we will lose protected area entrance fees, dignified and fairly paid work for guides and drivers, environmentally-responsible, family-owned lodgings and restaurants whose chefs are committed to using locally sourced ingredients...all in some of the most biologically and culturally rich and diverse landscapes on the planet, landscapes where inequality, corruption and lack of funds often keep such places from being adequately protected by local and national governments. We will lose hundreds if not thousands of jobs, some formal and others not, in hundreds of cities, towns, villages and hamlets where local communities have placed their bets on opening their homes to travelers from around the world.

We will also lose a deep source of support for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Andes and the Amazon, the traditional farming systems that brought the world potatoes and quinoa, the ancestral music that lifts our spirits as high as the condor, the ancient rituals in their modern-day forms, the intricate handicrafts and beneath it all the sets of knowledge of these important parts of identities here and around the world. This is not to say that tourism and travel is the only reason or way to keep cultural heritage alive, but it certainly contributes a great deal to the often fragile sustainability of ancestral communities and their lifeways, especially if carried out responsibly.

Travelers come to the Central Andes to experience and participate in, for just a moment, the living history of the Andean people and their admirable and on-going struggles for postcolonial justice; to glimpse and perhaps venture into the snow-covered peaks of the world's longest mountain chain; to literally touch, taste and feel the rich agricultural and gastronomic diversity of one of the world's great centers of crop domestication; to admire the complex textile traditions Aymara and Quechua master weavers; to witness mega-diverse tropical forests and their inhabitants and to glide across the shimmering, lunar landscapes and below the galaxy-studded night skies of the great Uyuni Salt Flats and much, much more.

To be able to share all of that with our visitors in respectful, sustainable ways depends upon long-term, horizontal and transparent relationships that not only cross geographic boundaries of all kinds but also cultural and technological boundaries that can be just as challenging to surmount. Right now we are at risk of losing the decades long, hard work of building and maintaining vast networks of partners all working to share and showcase the best of our region. The longer tourism is in hibernation, the harder it becomes to keep those relationships active and alive and the more likely it is that our partners find themselves forced to transition into alternatives.

Yes, it is a lot to lose and those of us convinced that what we do is on the front lines of cultural and natural resource conservation are having to reckon with the potentially ephemeral nature of our work. The shut-down of local and international travel and most of the components of our worlds of work other than the virtual ones where we find ourselves stranded today have meant an almost instantaneous stop of everything we do, everywhere we do it, in a matter of days.

But we can't just sit there watching it all fall apart, despite the fact that the "return to normality" that we are waiting for is not going to take place. The coronavirus pandemic is not only causing immediate and drastic changes to how we live and work but will bring long-term changes to the human experience and project, such as it is, everywhere. And lest we forget there are plenty of other crises being faced by humanity that have existed for decades if not centuries before this and that make the suggestion of returning to how things were before the virus swept across the planet not only impossible but offensive to consider.

We have no choice but to reassess how we are going to define and practice travel in the future both as travelers and as those who are on the ground doing our best to ensure that tourism is a source of health, resilience and respect in the world. This means that as conditions permit we have to learn from this existential moment and apply what we are learning in concrete, efficient and sustainable ways.

So what are we learning? Certainly it depends on where one is in the tourism and travel networks that crisscross the planet and cybersphere. What a novice or life-long traveler in Berlin or Shanghai is learning is one thing, while an independent travel planner unexpectedly working from home in Boise is learning another. Companies specializing in cruises, big and small, are clearly faced with unique challenges at this moment while natural and cultural history guides are being confronted with their own lessons. Trade associations, airlines, restaurants, hotels, museums, arenas and on and on will each have to assess the impacts of the pandemic on their livelihoods and what it will mean for them going forward.

Small and medium incoming tour operators such as ours and the hundreds of similar operations that exist and work on every continent are often the actors that hold the local networks together because we are the nexus between travelers and their activities on the ground when they visit our communities, cities, protected areas, markets and beaches. We are learning a lot, quickly, and from all sides.

We are learning how effective and efficient our financial management has been and what it means for our companies, our employees and our shared future. We are learning how strong, trusting and resilient our teams are and how much we can ask of them when they are under the multiple stresses of quarantines, caring for themselves and their families, tight living conditions, inadequate or inaccessible healthcare options, adaptation to working from home, and last but not least the immense uncertainty of when travel and tourism will resume and in what volume and in what timespan. We are learning that our commitment to our partners in communities throughout the region will only remain as strong and reciprocal as we've tried to make them.

We are learning a lot, to be sure, but perhaps the most important lesson is that we are learning to be patient, to wait and to have faith, no matter how stretched that faith may be, that what we do is valuable and needs to survive this horrible, confusing, scary moment. Because while tourism and travel does have negative impacts and can be practiced in exclusive, discriminatory ways, that's not how we do it and doesn't have to be so and the future will demand that it be evermore committed to resilience and sustainability.

The urge to seek out and experience something new is a universal characteristic of our species, no matter what our economic or cultural status. We want to know the other, in different ways and through different means, even if we are afraid of it or even if our own society has misled us into believing that we are somehow superior to that other. For those of us who aspire to provide responsible travel experiences, that is the whole point...we believe fiercely in the capacity of tourism to help one see the world a little bit differently and to be able to appreciate our beautiful planet in ways that reinforce the best of humanity.

So yes, we are losing a lot right now and while the moment might lead us to believe that we are losing everything, we are not. As we go forward, let's keep the best of what we do. And while we wait this out, while we do what we can to comprehend what is happening and support each other as we address immediate needs amidst great uncertainty, let's indulge in practicing and preparing for, dare I say, a future.
Travel and tourism brings cultures and countries together, as in this meeting between Aymara and Quechua community members collaborating with regional DMCs on a project to develop community-based trekking opportunities along Qhapaq Ñan, the Great Inca Highway, between Cusco, Peru to Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. Tourism, such as travel to the Uyuni Salt Flats in southern Bolivia, adds value to cultural and natural landscapes, value that in some cases can compete with other values such as those created by lithium mining, quinoa production for export and other activities that as currently practiced cause great harm to local communities, biodiversity and the climate.
Lo que estamos perdiendo, lo que estamos aprendiendo: reflexiones tempranas de Bolivia sobre la pandemia de COVID-19
Por Stephen Taranto, Sendas Altas | La Paz on Foot
En nuestra línea de trabajo, es un desafío escribir un titular que se presente como negativo. Al fin y al cabo, nuestra ambición es compartir los aspectos únicos, superlativos, positivos e incluso transformadores de los paisajes naturales y culturales que cubren nuestro magnífico planeta. Pero en esta nueva era de COVID-19, es difícil encontrar un resquicio de esperanza entre las nubes grises que se ciernen sobre los viajes y el turismo. Muchos de nosotros hemos trabajado tan duro durante tantos años y repentinamente todo parece estar a punto de ser llevado por los vientos de la plaga que ahora rodean el globo, vientos que solo parecen exacerbar muchos de los diversos conflictos y desigualdades que ya existían y que han empeorado en los últimos años.

Podemos perder mucho en esta nueva realidad en evolución, pero al mismo tiempo, y a pesar de lo difícil que podría ser pensar en el futuro en este momento, también podemos aprender mucho sobre nuestras debilidades y fortalezas particulares y cómo podríamos tener una oportunidad de luchar para sobrevivir. Es difícil predecir cómo en este momento, pero llegará el día en que podamos decir que los nuevos casos de coronavirus y la pérdida de vidas en comunidades indígenas y rurales, ciudades, regiones y países de todo el mundo tienen alcanzado, así como la gravedad de la pandemia están en declive.

Pensando en Bolivia y la gran región de los Andes Centrales, donde opera nuestra empresa de turismo Sendas Altas, pienso en tantas cosas que se perderán si los viajes y el turismo se ven gravemente afectados o desaparecen durante las transformaciones económicas y culturales que son inevitables en los próximos meses y años. Puede que algunos de los cambios que se vienen sean positivos ya que sería deshonesto ignorar el hecho de que el turismo puede causar daños y tener impactos negativos sobre el planeta y sus comunidades naturales y culturales.

Muchas experiencias de viaje, por ejemplo, tienen costos de energía extremadamente altos, contribuyendo al cambio climático y existen vínculos claros entre algunos tipos de turismo y el tráfico de personas y vida silvestre, entre otras prácticas perjudiciales. El exceso de turismo está causando estragos en cientos de sitios del patrimonio natural y cultural en todo el mundo y problemas como el desperdicio de alimentos y el uso sin restricciones de los plásticos son desafíos persistentes y crecientes para todos nosotros. Como profesionales del turismo responsable, entendemos y estamos preocupados por tales actividades, pero de todos modos, nuestra experiencia demuestra que en comparación con actividades económicas como la minería y la agricultura industrial, los impactos positivos del turismo responsable superan con creces a los negativos y nos han llevado a mejorar continuamente.

Entonces, ¿qué tenemos miedo de perder? La lista es larga. Sin turismo, perderemos las tarifas de entrada a las áreas protegidas; un trabajo digno y bien remunerado para guías, chóferes, alojamientos y restaurantes familiares, la mayoría respetuosos con el medio ambiente cuyos chefs se comprometen a usar ingredientes de origen local ... Todo esto en algunos de los paisajes biológica y culturalmente más diversos en el planeta, paisajes donde la desigualdad, la corrupción y la falta de financiamiento a menudo evitan que dichos lugares estén adecuadamente protegidos por los gobiernos locales y nacionales. Perderemos cientos, sino miles de empleos, algunos formales y otros informales, en cientos de ciudades, pueblos, aldeas y aldeas donde las comunidades locales han apostado por abrir sus hogares a viajeros de todo el mundo.

También perderemos una gran fuente de apoyo para la preservación del patrimonio cultural de los Andes y el Amazonas, los sistemas agrícolas tradicionales que trajeron al mundo la papa y la quinua, la música ancestral que eleva nuestros espíritus, los rituales ancestrales en sus formas modernas, las intrincadas artesanías y bajo todo esto el conjunto de conocimientos, identidades y culturas. Esto no quiere decir que el turismo y los viajes sean la única razón o la forma de mantener vivo el patrimonio cultural, pero ciertamente contribuye en gran medida a la sostenibilidad, a menudo frágil, de las comunidades ancestrales y sus formas de vida, especialmente si se llevan a cabo de manera responsable.

Los viajeros vienen a los Andes centrales para experimentar y participar, por un momento, de la historia viva del pueblo andino y sus luchas admirables y continuas por la justicia poscolonial; echar un vistazo y quizás aventurarse a los picos nevados de la cadena montañosa más larga del mundo; literalmente tocar, saborear y sentir la rica diversidad agrícola y gastronómica de uno de los grandes centros de domesticación de cultivos del mundo; admirar las complejas tradiciones textiles de las maestras tejedoras Aymara, Quechua y J'olka; para presenciar los bosques tropicales mega diversos y sus habitantes; para deslizarse a través de los brillantes paisajes lunares y debajo de los cielos nocturnos llenos de galaxias de los grandes Salares de Uyuni y mucho, mucho más.

El poder compartir todo eso con nuestros visitantes de formas respetuosas y sostenibles depende de relaciones horizontales y transparentes a largo plazo que no solo cruzan límites geográficos de todo tipo, sino también límites culturales y tecnológicos que pueden ser igual de difíciles de superar. En este momento, corremos el riesgo de perder el arduo trabajo de décadas de construir y mantener vastas redes de socios, todos trabajando para compartir y mostrar lo mejor de nuestra región. Mientras más tiempo esté en hibernación el turismo, más difícil será mantener esas relaciones activas y vivas, y es más probable que nuestros socios se vean obligados a hacer la transición hacia actividades alternativas.

Sí, es mucho que perder, y aquellos de nosotros convencidos de que lo que hacemos está en la primera línea de la conservación de los recursos culturales y naturales tenemos que tener en cuenta la naturaleza potencialmente efímera de nuestro trabajo. La cancelación de los viajes locales e internacionales y la mayoría de los elementos de nuestro trabajo que no sean los virtuales, donde nos encontramos varados hoy en día, ha significado una parada casi instantánea de todo lo que hacemos, dondequiera que lo hagamos, en cuestión de días.

Pero no podemos quedarnos sentados viendo cómo todo se desmorona, a pesar del hecho de que no volverá a la normalidad que estamos esperando. La pandemia de coronavirus no solo está causando cambios inmediatos y drásticos en la forma en que vivimos y trabajamos, sino que traerá cambios a largo plazo en la experiencia y la experiencia humana, como es, en todas partes. Y para que no olvidemos que hay muchas otras crisis que enfrenta la humanidad que han existido durante décadas, sino siglos, antes de esto y que hacen que la sugerencia de volver a cómo eran las cosas antes de que el virus se extendiera por el planeta no solo es imposible sino ofensivo de considerar.

No tenemos más remedio que reevaluar cómo vamos a definir y practicar los viajes en el futuro tanto como viajeros como aquellos que están en el terreno haciendo todo lo posible para garantizar que el turismo sea una fuente de salud, resiliencia y respeto en el mundo. Esto significa que, si las condiciones lo permiten, tenemos que aprender de este momento existencial y aplicar lo que estamos aprendiendo de manera concreta, eficiente y sostenible.

Entonces, ¿qué estamos aprendiendo? Ciertamente, depende de dónde se encuentre uno en las redes de turismo y viajes que atraviesan el planeta y la ciberesfera. Lo que un principiante o viajero de toda la vida en Berlín o Shanghai está aprendiendo es una cosa, mientras que un planificador de viajes independiente que trabaja inesperadamente desde su casa en Boise está aprendiendo otra. Las empresas especializadas en cruceros, grandes y pequeños, se enfrentan claramente a desafíos únicos en este momento, mientras que los guías de historia natural y cultural se enfrentan a sus propias lecciones. Las asociaciones comerciales, las aerolíneas, los restaurantes, los hoteles, los museos, y demás tendrán que evaluar los impactos de la pandemia en sus medios de vida y lo que significa para ellos en el futuro.

Los pequeños y medianos operadores turísticos entrantes como el nuestro y los cientos de operaciones similares que existen y funcionan en todos los continentes son a menudo los actores que mantienen unidas las redes locales porque somos el nexo entre los viajeros y sus actividades en el terreno cuando visitan nuestras comunidades, ciudades, áreas protegidas, mercados y playas. Estamos aprendiendo mucho, rápidamente y de todos lados.

Estamos aprendiendo cuán efectiva y eficiente ha sido nuestra gestión financiera y lo que significa para nuestras empresas, nuestros empleados y nuestro futuro compartido. Estamos aprendiendo cuán fuertes, confiables y resistentes son nuestros equipos y cuánto podemos pedirles cuando están bajo el estrés múltiple de las cuarentenas, cuidándose a sí mismos y a sus familias en condiciones complicadas, las opciones de atención médica inadecuadas o inaccesibles, la adaptación al trabajo desde casa, y por último, pero no menos importante, la inmensa incertidumbre de cuándo se reanudarán los viajes y el turismo y en qué volumen y en qué intervalo de tiempo. Estamos aprendiendo que nuestro compromiso con nuestros socios en las comunidades de toda la región sólo seguirá siendo tan fuerte y recíproco como hemos intentado hacerlo.

Estamos aprendiendo mucho, sin duda, pero quizás la lección más importante es que estamos aprendiendo a ser pacientes, a esperar y tener fe, no importa cuán extendida sea esa fe, que lo que hacemos es valioso y necesita para sobrevivir este horrible, confuso y aterrador momento. Porque si bien el turismo y los viajes tienen impactos negativos y se pueden practicar de manera exclusiva y discriminatoria, no es así como lo hacemos y no tiene que ser así, y el futuro exigirá que se comprometa aún más con la resiliencia y la sostenibilidad.

La necesidad de buscar y experimentar algo nuevo es una característica universal de nuestra especie, sin importar nuestro estado económico o cultural. Queremos conocer al otro, de diferentes maneras y a través de diferentes medios, incluso si le tenemos miedo o incluso si nuestra propia sociedad nos ha engañado a creer que somos de alguna manera superiores a los demás. Para aquellos de nosotros que aspiramos a proporcionar experiencias de viaje responsables, ese es el punto ... creemos fuertemente en la capacidad del turismo para ayudar a ver el mundo un poco diferente y poder apreciar nuestro hermoso planeta de manera que refuerce lo mejor de la humanidad.

Entonces sí, estamos perdiendo mucho en este momento pero al mismo tiempo estamos aprendiendo. Y aunque el momento puede llevarnos a creer que lo estamos perdiendo todo, no lo estamos.

A medida que avanzamos, mantengamos lo mejor de lo que hacemos. Y mientras esperamos pacientemente, mientras intentamos comprender lo que está sucediendo y apoyarnos mutuamente a medida que abordamos las necesidades inmediatas en medio de una gran incertidumbre, permitámonos practicar y prepararnos, me atrevo a decir, un futuro mejor.
Los viajes y el turismo unen culturas y países, como en esta reunión entre miembros de las comunidades Aymara y Quechua colaborando con DMC regionales en un proyecto para desarrollar oportunidades de trekking basadas en la comunidad a lo largo de Qhapaq Ñan o la Gran Carretera Inca entre Cusco, Perú y el Salar de Uyuni en Bolivia. El turismo, como los viajes al Salar de Uyuni en el sur de Bolivia, agrega valor a los paisajes culturales y naturales, valor que en algunos casos puede competir con otros valores como los creados por la extracción de litio, la producción de quinua para la exportación y otras actividades que como actualmente realizadas causan un gran daño a las comunidades locales, la biodiversidad y el clima. Voices From The Field - ATTA is providing this space for the benefit of our members for building awareness within our community. The views and opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily ATTA's, nor do we endorse them by their publication.

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What We are Losing, What We are Learning: Early Reflections from Bolivia on the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Versión en español a continuación By Stephen Taranto, Sendas Altas | La Paz on Foot In our line of work, it is a challenge to write a headline that comes across as negative. After all, our ambition is to share

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New initiative to help viewers "travel" to farming communities around the country and learn about farming systems. Check it out at @aventurasdealmendra!

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@lapazonfoot.bolivia

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La Paz on Foot, La Paz, Bolivia. 4,766 likes · 19 talking about this · 11 were here. Responsible Tourism and Environmental Education - www.lapazonfoot.com

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La Paz on Foot

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SANTIAGO DE AGENCHA: ALTIPLANO Y CULTURA, El emprendimiento comunitario cuenta con atractivos culturales como naturales, donde puedes disfrutar de las experienc... ias inolvidable que albergan: la ciudad de Uyuni, la comunidad Colchani, museos de sal en el centro del salar, la isla de Incahuasi, la comunidad tiene iglesia colonial con bóveda de piedra y los circuitos De Marcaqui y el camino de la vida.

SANTIAGO DE AGENCHA: ALTIPLANO AND CULTURE, community entrepreneurship features cultural as natural attractions, where you can enjoy the unforgettable experiences that host: the city of Uyuni, the Colchani community, salt museums in the center of salar, Incahuasi Island , the community has colonial church with stone vault and the Marcaqui circuits and the path of life.

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SANTIAGO DE AGENCHA: ALTIPLANO Y CULTURA, El emprendimiento comunitario cuenta con atractivos culturales como naturales, donde puedes disfrutar de las experienc... ias inolvidable que albergan: la ciudad de Uyuni, la comunidad Colchani, museos de sal en el centro del salar, la isla de Incahuasi, la comunidad tiene iglesia colonial con bóveda de piedra y los circuitos De Marcaqui y el camino de la vida.

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Santiago de Okola

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Agrobiodiversity Exchange Workshops in Santiago de Okola

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Agrobiodiversity Exchange Workshops in Santiago de Okola

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Series of workshops focusing on Andean agrobiodiversity workshops.

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Local chef workshops on traditional Andean foods

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Local chef workshops on traditional Andean foods

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Cooking classes with local chefs for learning about cooking with traditional Andean crop varieties.

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Environmental Education Programs at Tarapari Forest Farm and Coffee

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Environmental Education Programs at Tarapari Forest Farm and Coffee