Maras has more burros than people. Yet in the lucid expanse of hills and mountains known as “the Window to the Sacred Valley” Maras does not have many jobs or industries or much else, besides nature, agriculture and a rich cultural tradition. That may change, with the opening of Sumak Andean, an eco-tourism center launched by Cusco entrepreneur, Elena Gonzalez.
Sumak Andean aims to provide tourists with an immersion experience in local customs that go back to the Incas while bolstering opportunities for the people of Maras. This is seemingly a perfect symbiosis.
With the support of Technoserve & the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer project, I was able to directly collaborate with Sumak Andean in development of their marketing campaign and was able to witness some of the challenges and opportunities of this model firsthand.
Eco-tourism and cultural tourism are an ideal income generation projects in rural and isolated areas, with landscapes that will entice tourists and with a certain cultural and environmental “purity”. Its meant to be a sharp contrast from the average eco-tourist’s frenetic, high-tech and globalized existence. In many of the isolated areas that meet these criteria, there may be paltry industrial development, transport and infrastructure.
This can complicate supply chains and reduce an already small market of target consumers. However, for those truly committed to sustainable development and cultural exchange, taking an extra boat, dirt road or burro to have an amazing experience is part of the experience.
Another challenge can be maximizing eco-tourism’s potential as an income generator when higher education and business administration have been such distant realities or priorities for the local population. Any eco-tourism center can bring economic benefits, by creating markets for local agriculture and handicrafts- but to exceed that benchmark and bring more direct economic opportunity requires maximized local staffing. For people who have only known farming or quilting or herding, learning how to itemize a budget or implement a marketing plan can require a huge leap!
This educational gap may be why many eco-tourism centers are run by outsider or foreigners. However, social entrepreneur and travel agency proprietor Elena Gonzalez created a unique cooperative model for Sumak Andean. Elena leads Sumak Andean in collaboration with a local women’s association form the community. The association was initially a cooperative of local women making handicrafts and lunches from locally grown crops- Elena enjoyed bringing tourists to the cooperative for meals en route to more visible tourist locales such as the local salt mines or archaeological sites. But there was no building, no bathrooms, no structure, in place for anything more than a roadside, hearth-cooked meal. Elena partnered with the association to help them obtain a commercial space, and create something bigger.
Together, they created a business plan that won Technoserve’s Idea Tu Empresa Business Plan competition. With no knowledge of how to write a business plan, no capital, no equipment, no land, the community association was in no way prepared for a commercial loan. Even if they had obtained a microfinance loan, they still would have been without the technical capacity to manage construction, launch and operation of the space. With funding and technical assistance from Technoserve and the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer project, Elena and the association are currently in the midst of construction and improving the constituents’ capacity in sales, customer service and management. Elena hopes that after building their skills up, the association will be able to assume complete control and leadership of Sumak Andean.
The association is gaining more and more financial savvy and more innovative ideas about improving their business and involving the community. As they interact with tourist, they learn more about consumer preferences and trends and already, they have expanded to include Sumak Andean herbology tours, cooking classes and craftsmanship classes. While some worry about the effect of exposure to globalization can affect traditional communities, community members in Maras are mostly proud and eager to share their culture. Although they don’t know much about typical lifestyles in the US or Europe, they sense that the American and European tourists can gain immense value in learning how to live in harmony with nature. As the tensions over natural disasters and corporate sustainability reach a boiling point, insight from communities like Maras becomes even more relevant.
Eco-tourism presents great potential to help both industrialized nations and emerging markets gain needed experiences, resources and insights. Its part of a new generation of business models that merge social impact and environmental sustainability. Of course, balancing these objectives can lead to new challenges, which Elena and myriad other entrepreneurs are deftly overcoming.
Sumak Andean aims to provide tourists with an immersion experience in local customs that go back to the Incas while bolstering opportunities for the people of Maras. This is seemingly a perfect symbiosis.
With the support of Technoserve & the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer project, I was able to directly collaborate with Sumak Andean in development of their marketing campaign and was able to witness some of the challenges and opportunities of this model firsthand.
Eco-tourism and cultural tourism are an ideal income generation projects in rural and isolated areas, with landscapes that will entice tourists and with a certain cultural and environmental “purity”. Its meant to be a sharp contrast from the average eco-tourist’s frenetic, high-tech and globalized existence. In many of the isolated areas that meet these criteria, there may be paltry industrial development, transport and infrastructure.
This can complicate supply chains and reduce an already small market of target consumers. However, for those truly committed to sustainable development and cultural exchange, taking an extra boat, dirt road or burro to have an amazing experience is part of the experience.
Another challenge can be maximizing eco-tourism’s potential as an income generator when higher education and business administration have been such distant realities or priorities for the local population. Any eco-tourism center can bring economic benefits, by creating markets for local agriculture and handicrafts- but to exceed that benchmark and bring more direct economic opportunity requires maximized local staffing. For people who have only known farming or quilting or herding, learning how to itemize a budget or implement a marketing plan can require a huge leap!
This educational gap may be why many eco-tourism centers are run by outsider or foreigners. However, social entrepreneur and travel agency proprietor Elena Gonzalez created a unique cooperative model for Sumak Andean. Elena leads Sumak Andean in collaboration with a local women’s association form the community. The association was initially a cooperative of local women making handicrafts and lunches from locally grown crops- Elena enjoyed bringing tourists to the cooperative for meals en route to more visible tourist locales such as the local salt mines or archaeological sites. But there was no building, no bathrooms, no structure, in place for anything more than a roadside, hearth-cooked meal. Elena partnered with the association to help them obtain a commercial space, and create something bigger.
Together, they created a business plan that won Technoserve’s Idea Tu Empresa Business Plan competition. With no knowledge of how to write a business plan, no capital, no equipment, no land, the community association was in no way prepared for a commercial loan. Even if they had obtained a microfinance loan, they still would have been without the technical capacity to manage construction, launch and operation of the space. With funding and technical assistance from Technoserve and the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer project, Elena and the association are currently in the midst of construction and improving the constituents’ capacity in sales, customer service and management. Elena hopes that after building their skills up, the association will be able to assume complete control and leadership of Sumak Andean.
The association is gaining more and more financial savvy and more innovative ideas about improving their business and involving the community. As they interact with tourist, they learn more about consumer preferences and trends and already, they have expanded to include Sumak Andean herbology tours, cooking classes and craftsmanship classes. While some worry about the effect of exposure to globalization can affect traditional communities, community members in Maras are mostly proud and eager to share their culture. Although they don’t know much about typical lifestyles in the US or Europe, they sense that the American and European tourists can gain immense value in learning how to live in harmony with nature. As the tensions over natural disasters and corporate sustainability reach a boiling point, insight from communities like Maras becomes even more relevant.
Eco-tourism presents great potential to help both industrialized nations and emerging markets gain needed experiences, resources and insights. Its part of a new generation of business models that merge social impact and environmental sustainability. Of course, balancing these objectives can lead to new challenges, which Elena and myriad other entrepreneurs are deftly overcoming.
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