Sustainable Tourism
- Cultural Responsibility
At Kuoda, we take our ethical and social responsibilities very seriously. As Peruvian travel agents, we believe very strongly that the benefits of tourism in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and beyond should always outweigh the costs.
Therefore, we approach the cultures we visit with both humbleness and reverence, striving to create a true dialogue that enriches the lives of both the visitor and the community member. Through sustainable tourism, communities can focus anew on traditions, fiestas, stories and traditional arts, and can devote more resources to maintaining their cultures. Visitors have the opportunity to see and contribute to the world in a completely different way.
- Environmental Responsibility
In the Quechuan tradition there is a strong belief in the power of the earth. At Kuoda, our respect for the planet, or "Pachamama," is no different. We always seek to provide our visitors with unique and culturally authentic travel experiences that both protect and preserve the ecological environment they visit. We take every measure to ensure that we have minimal impact on the zones that we visit and only work with Bolivian, Ecuadoran and Peruvian travel agents, suppliers, guides, and lodges that understand the need to care for the environment.
- Lending a Hand
Our dedication to our communities and environment goes far beyond this webpage. In 2007, we began an ambitious project in a small Andean village. The official village public school (kindergarten – sixth grade) lacks a library and adequate teaching materials, and the level of education is low compared to standards found in less rural areas. When children complete the sixth grade, they must travel outside of the village to continue attending school. Students rarely have a place to work on homework and because most of their parents have not achieved a higher level of education than primary school, the children receive little help at home.
Kuoda is an active member of APTAE, the Peruvian Association of Adventure Tourism, a nonprofit organization that works with Peruvian travel agents and tour operators to promote adventure and ecological tourism in Peru in order to preserve and benefit the environment. Many members of our staff are volunteers and conservationists, working with earthquake prevention programs, river clean-up campaigns, reforestation projects, and various social projects in local communities. Should you wish to include environmental conservation activities in your trip, we are always thrilled to find the best possible project.
Thus the "Andean Children's Learning Center" was born. Kuoda dedicates a portion of its proceeds to providing the children with a certified teacher to tutor them in the afternoons in a quiet, well-lit facility. In March of 2011, we added a computer center and computer teacher. Our goal is to provide the facilities and encouragement that will help these children continue their education beyond the sixth grade and, hopefully, through college. We are proud to say that almost two-thirds of the children in this area visit the Learning Center regularly.
We invite you to learn more about our Andean projects and should you wish to visit or even participate in one of these projects, we would be delighted to include these activities in your itinerary. One client came away from her trip to the community with the following thought: "After this experience, my children seemed to understand much more about community and sharing than before. My husband and I ended up wondering just who was helping whom."
