Biodiversity Archives - Solimar International

stunning ocean and shades of blue of capurgana, colombia

Visiting Capurganá, Colombia – Nature Based Tourism

Written by Thomas Kalchik on June 12, 2022. Posted in Blog.

Partaking in nature based tourism while visiting Capurganá, Colombia is a tool to drive economic success, protect biodiversity, and build a strong social impact.

Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. This provides a tremendous opportunity to improve its competitive edge for nature based tourism both internationally and domestically. In fact, USAID Nature Tourism Market Research shows that for international travelers, experiencing the biodiversity of Colombia was the highest nature-based motivation to visit the country (USAID, 2021). Colombia also has extremely diverse landscapes, from the Caribbean coastal desert of La Guajira, tropical rainforests on both the Pacific and Caribbean, brisk mountainous cities of the Andes, grassy plains of Los Llanos, and of course the dense Amazon of the South and West. It’s no wonder the domestic tourism market of Colombia is also attracted to these nature tourism areas, enjoying the beauty of the natural attractions and connecting with the rural and indigenous communities. Visiting Colombia and making the adventure to Capurganá is the perfect way to engage in nature based tourism.

What is Nature-Based Tourism?

The Government of Colombia provides the definition of nature based tourism as the interrelation and appreciation of the environment in its pure state. Conceptualizing this with the definition of sustainable tourism, and you have nature as the driver for economic benefits, socio-cultural development, and environmental preservation of landscapes and biodiversity. Together, these nature tourism activities are developed in response to the needs of the visitors, destinations, host communities and the tourism industry. Nature tourism is seen as an umbrella product, with ecotourism, adventure tourism and rural tourism underneath.

Meet Capurganá, Colombia!

Where the dense, tropical jungle meets the Caribbean Sea lies the epitome of natural wealth that is Capurganá, Colombia. The lush, green jungle hosts an incredible amount of Colombian animals, insects and amphibians, while the sea boasts abundant marine life. See the chart below for a few examples of plants and animals in Capurganá, Colombia:

Capurganá Nature Tourism Meets Adventure and Eco-tourism

The definition of adventure tourism is to engage in adventure activities, such as hiking, climbing, rafting, scuba, and the like, and is often set in the wilderness or remote areas. How to get to Capurganá? Well, it is about as remote as you could ask for. Not accessible by car, you can get to Capurganá by boat or small airplane. The abundance of natural attractions provides a haven for adventure tourism activities. Hike the coastal paths to natural pools or nearby towns. Scuba dive or snorkel in the turquoise waters. Boat to nearby mangrove forests. Kayak across the bay or to the nearby island. And trek across country borders to Panama through the jungle and over the mountains, by way of the small town of Sapzurro, Colombia. The importance of conserving Capurganá’s vast amount of natural capital is vital to the success of local sustainable tourism development. To that end, the Adventure Travel and Trade Association explains adventure tourism as “even more dependent than other forms of tourism on human and nature capital. The protection and thoughtful promotion of these resources is crucial for the social, cultural and environmental integrity of any destination.”

Ecotourism in Colombia is abundant, and if you are looking to plan an eco trip, then Capurganá, Colombia is a fantastic choice. The International Ecotourism Society provides the definition of ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustain the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education.” There are many activities in ecotourism in Capurganá through the plethora of ecotourism areas within and surrounding the town. La Coquerita is a coastal nature reserve offering access to a stunning natural pool. A hike through the shallow rivers and jungle allows the observance of bustling wildlife and lush flora. Often times the accommodations in Capurganá provide a local tour guide to help build environmental and cultural awareness along the trip. Some private sector businesses even build their values around ecotourism and nature tourism concepts. Casa Galú boutique hotel seeks to provide meaningful experiences to their guests by preserving its natural and wildlife surroundings. They inspire responsible interactions with its pristine setting through low impact facilities and respectful wildlife observance.

Conflict Zones: a difficult history, current opportunities, and a bright future

Many of us know about Colombia’s history of war and forced displacement. But as peace has spread over the recent decade, Colombia is making a new name for itself. “Make Tours, Not War” is the slogan of Colombian tour operator Impulse Travel. Building off of the socio-cultural development aspect of sustainable, nature-based tourism, Impulse Travel is “writing a new history – one of peace, resilience and hope.” Watch this short video displaying how they use “the power of travel to create a peace movement through tours.”

Capurganá is located in the Chocó department and Acandí municipality. The Colombian government’s website on regional improvement strategies has designated the Acandí municipality as 1 of 12 former (in the past) conflict zones within the Chocó department. It can take many years for former conflict zones to recover post-conflict, and this initiative will put various strategies in place for the betterment of the local economies, environment and socio-cultural development. Nature tourism is the perfect tool to achieve this in Capurganá. If it can be more widely taught and properly executed then it will generate income, conserve biodiversity, and reduce harmful land-use changes.

Solimar International has worked in several regions that have seen conflict, including the department of Chocó in Colombia. Check out Solimar’s approach to addressing tourism challenges in conflict zones, particularly through stakeholder engagement, organizational structuring and strategic marketing.

Effective Education and Strategic Planning for Nature Tourism Benefits

By now, we know that Capurganá has an abundance of natural wealth, with great value to both the local community and travelers. But that is not to say it is always properly utilized, appreciated, or even recognized by locals and visitors alike. In Capurganá, education on the benefits of nature tourism may just be the number one need to properly implement these concepts. Through research, education, planning and monitoring, nature tourism development strategies “can be an effective tool for stimulating economic growth, alleviating poverty, conserving biodiversity, preserving culture and traditions, and creating employment opportunities for local communities,” as stated by Solimar International’s strategic planning approach. Of course, it is not solely up to the local communities in destinations like Capurganá to uphold the concepts of sustainable, nature tourism. The travelers must be educated as well. To that end, the nonprofit organization RISE Travel Institute’s mission is to inspire responsible, impactful, sustainable and ethical travel through traveler-focused, online educational courses that cover topics such as biodiversity conservation, animals in tourism, inclusivity, and much more.

Tayrona National Park in Colombia is — Tayrona National Park, Colombia

A major opportunity to build sustainable, nature-based tourism development in Capurganá comes from capacity building programs. In remote destinations, access to adequate resources for proper training can be a challenge. Solimar International describes their successes in workforce development trainings in Colombia’s Chocó department, near the Utría National Park. Other National Parks in Colombia also provide a great example of structured organizations that implement strategic plans and monitor actions for biodiversity conservation, negative land use changes, and improving local livelihoods.

Capurganá currently has a handful of individual people and private companies that work towards responsible environmental action and to improve local culture. However, it lacks the formal organizational structure with proper authoritative figures for effective implementation and monitoring. Capurganá could greatly benefit from a structured Community Based Organization to engage and empower destination stakeholders for strategic, nature tourism planning. As shown in Solimar International’s blog on community-based tourism, this is an extremely effective and customizable tool. Take the Jamaica Community Experiences project for examples on community tourism branding, training and product development. Another valuable tool is Solimar International’s courses on Destination Management Organization (DMO) Development, where they teach DMO stakeholders how to responsibly manage and market tourism within their destination.

Conclusion: From Local to National Opportunity

Capurganá, Colombia’s high level of natural wealth is a prime opportunity to build on the concept of nature tourism. To improve its competitiveness and long-term sustainable tourism development plan in order to generate income, conserve biodiversity, reduce land-use change and build a stronger community. As the country of Colombia seeks to position itself more competitively in the nature tourism industry, small communities like Capurganá could benefit immensely from joining the movement.

Want to learn how to help your destination or community reach its sustainable tourism development goals? Check out these resources on Solimar’s website, or contact us for more info!

Celebrating World Wildlife Day 2022

Written by Afsar Ahmad on March 3, 2022. Posted in Blog.

During its 68th session in 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared March 3rd World Wildlife Day. To emphasize the importance of the protection of the World’s wild animal species and plants. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was founded on March 3rd, 1973. CITES works as an international agreement to oversee the exchange of different wildlife species and prevent them from being misused. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of threatened species, around 40,000 thousand wildlife species are in severe danger of extinction. As a result, it requires a call to action to take necessary steps to save endangered wildlife before it’s too late. World Wildlife Day 2022 is an important event all around the world. The main focus this year is on a single theme: “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”.

Wildlife and Sustainable Tourism for World Wildlife Day 2022

One of the world’s largest industries, tourism offers unique opportunities to local communities and to travelers around the world. Also, modern tourists are becoming more aware of their influence and are concerned about the protection of wildlife. Therefore, it serves as a great platform to raise awareness of the conservation of wildlife worldwide through tourism organizations. Tourism conservation in protected areas can help communities and biodiversity.

The endangered Black Rhino in AfricaTourism organizations can play an important role in raising awareness for the extinction of endangered species of wild flora and fauna. As the tourism industry advances, the impact of tourism also expands to a greater extent in the tourism community and wildlife. Solimar International believes in the role of tourism in the protection of wildlife via the sustainable development of tourism. Recently, Solimar International successfully conducted a project on behalf of the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) conservation travel program in Bhutan, Nepal, and Peru. This project helped WWF facilitate sustainable travel and motivate them to take country-specific initiatives, taking into account local cultures and traditions.

Community Tourism and Wildlife Conservation

Forests are home to three-quarters of the world’s species. However, deforestation and animal hunting still exists in some parts of the world. A reason for that is the too much dependency of some communities on natural resources. As a consequence, it is creating severe problems for some endangered wildlife species.

The protection of biodiversity is of immense importance for any community. It is vital that people are conscious about their actions and acknowledge endangered animal species are valuable. Hence, raising awareness among community members about protected area conservation requires environmental education and awareness campaigns. Solimar International prioritizes the conservation of protected areas, along with benefiting the host destination’s inhabitants with financial prosperity.

We believe in sustainable economic growth, as well as the conservation of wildlife. As part of the USAID-funded Liberia Conservation Works program, Solimar is working to engage local communities in the management of their protected areas. We believe the project will serve various purposes: conserving Liberia’s rich biodiversity, restoring the ecosystem, and empowering the local community.

World Wildlife Day Calls for Community Involvement

Wildlife conservation and restoration of nature are hugely dependent on the understanding that communities are the main beneficiaries of natural resources. As the human population increases and human consumption of natural resources also rise, harming global biodiversity. Solimar believes in using tourism sustainable development in the protection of natural resources. We consider sustainable tourism for the conservation of wildlife and also to help the communities be the stewards of their own local tourism development.

Our Tourism Conservation Models focus on the improvement of biodiversity and make communities informed of environmental aspects. Although, communities are not homogeneous, and the level of awareness of residents differs on social awareness. However, Our on-site assessment helps us to undertake thorough research about a tourism destination.

Our Bengal Tiger Conservation activity is an ideal model for creating awareness of communities in the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans are listed in the World’s heritage list. The Sundarbans Reserve Forest (SRF) is known as the home of various endangered species of the world. The SRF consists of exceptional biodiversity and is a useful resource for Bangladesh. Our goal was to encourage communities to participate in the protection of the Bengal tigers and the biodiversity of the forest.

We are currently working on another USAID project to continue the development of the Sundarbans as a sustainable tourism destination. Our objective is to improve tourism governance and facilitate a better conservation system in the world’s largest mangrove forest system.

As the tourism industry continues to play a significant role in the world’s economy, we must join forces around the globe to help ensure wildlife protection. Throughout our projects, we strive to facilitate the preservation of biodiversity while supporting surrounding communities at the same time.

Call to action: Happy World Wildlife Day 2022! Want to learn more about our tourism wildlife conservation projects? Contact us for more information.

World Ocean’s Day – The Value of the Blue Economy

Written by Solimar International on June 8, 2021. Posted in Blog.

Written by Amélie Keller and Vincent Villeneuve

Today on June 8, Solimar International celebrates World Oceans Day to remind everyone that there is no life without the oceans. Oceans cover 71% of the earth’s surface and represent 97% of the water on the planet. They allow us to breathe by providing 50% of the atmospheric oxygen, nourish nearly 3 billion people, welcome 90% of internationally traded goods, constitute one of the most promising sources of clean renewable energy, and employ millions of people–including in marine and nature-based tourism.

Credits: Dan Charity

Healthy oceans also ensure a protected climate. Marine biodiversity plays an essential role in climate change mitigation and adaptation and provides many ecosystem services essential for the well-being of human societies. Over the past decades, the ocean has mitigated climate change by absorbing between one-third and half of the human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, constituting one of the largest natural reservoirs of carbon. Marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and mangroves, also offer valuable adaptation solutions, protecting the coastline from storms, contributing to soil stabilization and water purification, and constituting important habitats for biodiversity. With US $36 billion in tourism revenue supplied to the global economy each year by coral reefs, Solimar recognizes the importance of protecting these critical and endangered habitats in our work with island and coastal economies around the world.

Credits: Jack McKee

World Oceans Day was first declared on 8 June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro at the Global Forum, a parallel event at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Earth Summit. In 2008, led by Canada, the General Assembly resolved that 8 June would be designated by the United Nations as “World Oceans Day”. (General Assembly resolution 63/111). The purpose of this day is to celebrate the oceans and to raise awareness among the general public of the crucial role they play in our subsistence, as well as in the various means that exist to protect them. This year’s UN World Oceans Day annual virtual event is held virtually in partnership with non-profit Oceanic Global and highlights the theme “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods”. As the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development has already started, World Oceans Day is a great opportunity to celebrate and appreciate all the benefits humans get from the ocean. It is also the perfect occasion to remind ourselves of our responsibility to use its resources sustainably and to recall that every day should be an ocean’s day if we want to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 Life Below Water as well as all the other SDGs.

Credits: Christian Vizl

Oceans are home to most of the earth’s biodiversity and there is no doubt that the ocean economy has always been an important contributor to growth and prosperity. However, human economic activities have put serious pressure on maritime and marine resources. There is now no doubt that we must do more to protect our most vibrant natural heritage. This is what the concept of the Blue Economy is all about – as well explained by the Ocean Foundation, it refers to ensuring sustainable marine economic activities and enhancing improved livelihoods and jobs while preserving the ocean ecosystem health. For more detailed information about the potential of the Blue Economy, this comprehensive report from the World Bank and the United Nations is a great place to start.

What is the Blue Economy? An infographic from the World Bank Group (Credits: The World Bank Group)

As we are living in an era of climate emergency and biodiversity losses, and constantly exposed to environmental heart-wrenching truths through newspapers, blog articles, or popular documentaries (Seaspiracy, Chasing Coral, My Octopus Teacher) – you might now be wondering, as tourism professionals, is there anything we can do to safeguard biodiversity and preserve our marine and coastal areas?

While the impact of tourism on the ocean and the climate is considerable, tourism also represents a vital pillar of a sustainable blue economy and can help drive conservation and restoration efforts around the world. The linkages between healthy ecosystems and a thriving tourism industry is perhaps nowhere more apparent than atop a coral reef. While the vibrant colors of soft coral shallows and intricate reef structures that provide a home for countless creatures can be dulled and broken by careless visitors, they can also be revived by tourism: private protected areas, funded by eco-resorts as seen in places like Misool in Indonesia, can maintain critical no-take zones that allow ecosystems to regenerate and recover while providing employment opportunities for local people.

While the UN underlines that we are currently taking more from the ocean than can be replenished, with 90% of big fish populations currently depleted and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, the Ellen MacArthur’s foundation also reminds us that in a business-as-usual scenario, the ocean is expected to contain one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish by 2025, and by 2050, more plastics than fish by weight.” Contributing to the good ecological state of the ocean and protecting the climate also means changing tourism practices and respecting some simple rules of conduct. By helping tourists adopt the right actions and learn from good practices, we can allow beaches, coastal paths, coral reefs, salt meadows, mangroves, and the ocean to continue to play their role as a climate regulator.

Coastal and ocean-related tourism come in many forms – diving, watersports, wildlife interactions, cruising, beach resorts – and, yes, the tourism industry must assume a major responsibility to take action in sustaining the management of the ocean economy. To do so, active leadership should be integrated at all levels of a destination. Solimar International is committed to helping Destination Management Organizations and tourism stakeholders to reduce large-scale impacts on the natural capital upon which the industry depends. Solimar International is part of the Tourism Action Coalition for a Sustainable Ocean, working together with other tourism leaders to achieve the vision of marine and coastal tourism that is collaborative and regenerative with social inclusion and sustainability at its core. In addition, Solimar International is implementing activities directly aimed at delivering on this vision. Check out some of our past projects to which we conducted sustainable marine-based activities in coastal destinations, such as Mauritius, Panama, and Timor-Leste.

Tourism Action Coalition for a Sustainable Ocean (Credits: The Ocean Foundation)

To give you some ideas, we have listed some general tourism best practices examples to follow for a sustainable tourism destination based on the Blue Economy:

Ban single-use plastic and reuse as much plastic as possible
Implement guidelines and sustainable activities for wildlife interactions and reef exploration
Educate visitors and front-workers about social responsibility and best practices to reduce environmental footprints
Lessen the amount of pollution and waste produced by cruise operators, hospitality businesses, tourists, and local communities through awareness campaigns and community events
Assess tourism businesses sustainability levels
Work with other industries (such as fisheries, governments, maritime transportation, renewable energy, and aquaculture) to conduct holistic and sustainable approaches
Employ local people who are on the frontline in our battle to restore our ocean ecosystems, and who are the most knowledgeable about their coastal homes and resources

As summer arrives and the lucky ones are already starting to prepare their luggage for a seaside vacation, it is essential to have in mind some good practices and actions to apply to preserve the largest ecosystem on the planet. By reducing waste, following marked trails, avoiding disturbing marine species, tourists can help protect the oceans while allowing them to fully play their role in the climate system. You too, during your stay by the sea, can protect the ocean and thus contribute to the fight against climate change.

Sustainability is not only green – like the Earth we call home, it is truly blue. So celebrate World Oceans Day, and take this opportunity to remind yourself how beautiful our planet is, especially underwater. To share this world of wonder with future generations, we must ensure that tourism acts to protect these beautiful places and ecosystems–improving them for the many millions of people who have yet to witness their beauty, and the millions more who call these places home.

Feeling like diving now? Sign up to the World Ocean Day event here and take a virtual swim without any harm by discovering this wonderful campaign on Google Earth created by Underwater Earth and The Ocean Agency to raise awareness on the importance of our oceans!

2020 Photo Competition – Winner of the Category ‘Underwater Life’ (Credits : Michael Gallagher)

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Tag: Biodiversity