Ecoturismolatino aims to promote the conservation of protected natural
areas in Latin America through the development of genuine ecotourism
which provides resources (economic and/or human) for conservation, actively
involves community participation (fostering local development) and incorporates
environmental education and nature interpretataion as a tools to encourage
a re-linkage between humans and nature.
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Objectives
1)
Promote genuine ecotourism in natural protected areas of Latin America.
2) Support communities
which have made conservation their business and have decided to use
ecotourism as one of their strategies for local development.
3) Advocate for
a 'responsible tourism' to natural protected areas which minimizes its
negative impacts and increases its benefits in favor of the environment
and the local communities visited.
4) Encourage that
potential tourists interested in ecotourism respect, be sensitive and
aware of the natural, cultural, social and managerial environments of
the protected natural areas they plan to visit.
5) Enable visitors
to contribute to the conservation of natural protected areas through
ecotourism and/or volunteering programs.
6) Ensure that ecotourism
operators of tours and/or lodges in protected natural areas offer genuine
environmental, cultural and social friendly services and products.
7) Promote the use
of environmental education and nature interpretation as key components
to a real ecotourism product and service.
8) Build strategic
alliances with the various stakeholders of natural protected areas.
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Our
Staff
Allan
Roberto Rhodes - Webmaster - Consultant
Adriana
Contreras - Designer - Consultant
Karen
Wantland - Ecotourism Consultant
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History
Ecoturismolatino
was born from a travel experiences. After travelling through countries
in the American, European, African and Asian continents; it was important
to return to Latin America to discover our roots. This is how the idea
of creating a website that gave the possibility of planning an ecotravel
through Latinamerica was born.
With scarce resources and a lot of effort we started working on Mexico,
covering destinations and cultural information through travels, and
the collaboration of tour operators, friends, professionists and people
interested in travelling. This is how we have reached more countries,
through an EcoTravellers' & EcoEntrepreneurs' Community.
The website was launched on April of 2001. On May we became members
of the Mexican Association of Adventure Tourism and Ecotourism (Asociación
Mexicana de Turismo de Aventura y Ecoturismo A.C. - AMTAVE). On June
we participated with a stand at "Expo de Aventura y Ecoturismo"
in the World Trade Center-México. On November we won second place
at a Web-based enterprises contest in the category of ecology "Segundo
Premio BANAMEX a la "Evolución en Internet" It was
a year of many achievements and the years to come promised more. On
the summer of 2001 we launched our divisions of EcoTours and Consultancy.
In
2002 we put our EcoTours in hold to concentrate our efforts in Ecoturismolatino-Consultancy.
Our Consultancy division is directed to enterprises related to ecotourism,
as well as to government and education institutions. During 2002 we
gave conferences and lectures in several universities in Mexico, also
a workshop on marketing and Internet to the Ministry of Environment.
We also registered "Ecoturismolatino", "Ecoturismolatino.com"
and our logo as official trademarks with the Mexican government.
In
2003 we concentrated our consultancy
services on what we are experts: the effective use of Internet.
In doing this we have reduced our services to provide our customers
quality services on website design, maintenance, hosting and promotion.
Our objective is to deliver to our customers solutions that increase
their sales, reduce costs and/or adds value to their services.
During
the beginning of 2004 Ecoturismolatino concentrated its efforts in the
development of its EcoTravel
Directory. We surfed the Web to find interesting and useful website
for EcoTravellers who want to visit and know about Latin America. On
May of this year we decided to focus our content to only ecotourism
that takes places in the Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) of Latin America.
At the same time we redesigned our content Ecoturismolatino has worked
very hard to improve the quality and participation in its eGroups.
In
2004 we hosted the First
Online Forum and Roundtable on Tourism in Protected Natural Areas.
We hope to continue this event in a annual basis to strengthen ongoing
projects and build knowledge around effective management techniques
of tourism in PNAs.
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Services
& Products
Ecoturismolatino
assists two audiences which we call EcoTravellers (people interested
in ecotourism undertaken in natural protected areas of Latin America)
and EcoEntrepreneurs (organisations who offer ecotourism services
and products in these protected areas).
EcoTravellers
· "Parks
& Protected Areas" online guide
· Online Bookshop
· EcoTravel
Discount Card <<NEW>>
· EcoTraveller's
Community
EcoEntrepreneurs
· Online
Publicity in Ecoturismolatino.com
· Ecotourism Consulting
Services
· Website Evaluation
& Design
· EcoEntrepreneurs
Program <<NEW>>
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Alliances
Ecoturismolatino
knows the importance of joining forces with enterprises and origanizations
who help reach its main goal: "Promote and Improve Ecotourism in
Latin America". With this mindset Ecoturismolatino has achieved
to link with important organizations in the course of the years. Here
we present the main alliances we have nurtured:
Ecoturismolatino
works closely together with Morphika.com to provide quality services
in the development of multimedia products such as interactive CD's and
website design.
Ecoturismolatino
has joined efforts with Sustainable Travel International to promote
our customers in the North American market.
Ecoturismolatino
provides content to the tourism portal of Travelisimo.com. With this
we promote ecotourism and ecotourism destinations, as well as increase
the traffic towards our website.
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Vision
Ecoturismolatino
believes that ecotourism can deliver both a mechanism to finance nature
conservation and also foster community development. Although ecotourism
must not be seen as the ultimate solution, it is certainly an integral
part of a more holistic solution to conservation and sustainable development.
Even though there is constant and never-ending academic and institutional
debate on what ecotourism is, there are real examples of genuine ecotourism
all around the world.
Ecoturismolatino's
vision is to become a bridge where worlds and the dreams of those worlds
meet each other. We want to become a medium that permits travellers
to relink with nature and meet in equal terms with the people that have
made conservation their life. We will work to build the networks joining
individuals, organisations and enterprises committed to real ecotourism
around Latin America.
Ecoturismolatino
commits itself to construct partnerships of cooperation based on honesty,
respect, trust, dignity, equality and justice. We believe that conservation
of protected natural areas can only be reached through active community
participation. We believe that the future of our planet depends on the
rediscovery of the sacredness of nature and humans as integral part
of her. Finally we envision active nature conservation under the mindset
of "think local, act local".
Future
Plans
Ecoturismolatino
during 2004 - 2007 plans to construct the most complete online guide
of "Parks & Protected Areas" for Latin America. For 2007
Ecoturismolatino plans to undertake the "Latin EcoExpedition"
visiting outstanding Latin American community-based ecotourism projects
in natural protected areas. In preparation to such an event, on 2005
(next year) we will do the "Mexican EcoExpedition" travelling
through natural protected areas of Mexico. Find
out how you can be part of this journey!
