One of the great challenges for UNESCO World Heritage Sites is to find a balance between tourism and heritage conservation. This issue has been the main topic of debate today given the widespread idea that tourism contributes to poverty reduction and the sustainable development of local communities.
Travel has the power to positively impact the lives of travelers through meaningful experiences and memories. It also has the power to positively transform destinations and the lives of the people who host our travelers.
These are the stories of sustainability in Cusco and the Peruvian Amazon.
QUEUÑA RAYMI- OLLANTAYTAMBO
The Andean Ecosystems Association – ECOAN and the participation of 21 rural communities of the central part of the Vilcanota Mountain Range, since the year 2000 began the conservation of these forests of Polylepis (queuña) through different conservation strategies, among them: reforestation and afforestation with native species, as part of the sustainability and tourism services that exist in these areas.
Queuña Raymi is a celebration that takes place every year about planting Queuña trees in a single day. This native tree grows in extreme environmental and atmospheric conditions, the key to protecting the headwaters and all the biodiversity that survives in these Andean forests and wetlands.
The peasant families that live along the Vilcanota mountain range, from the beginning became the main allies of conservation and for many years lived in the forest using it as a source of firewood, construction material, medicinal plants, grazing places, and self-consumption agriculture. Today, local communities respect the forests and are committed to restoring them so that all environmental services will return to their natural state.
The trees planted before and with Queuña Raymi will help to protect the headwaters of watersheds, minimize the effects of climate change, restore endangered habitats in the Andes of the central part of the Cordillera Vilcanota, and give all of us great hope for life and health. We look forward to your contribution and collaboration to continue meeting this challenge.
MACHU PICCHU, THE FIRST CARBON-NEUTRAL WONDER OF THE WORLD
The Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary is an archaeological wonder. However, its natural wealth is not yet appreciated in its true dimension if we consider that it is the natural habitat of species, such as the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), as well as endemic birds and orchids. It is one of the most fragile and threatened ecosystems on the planet.
The loss of cloud forests is a latent global impact risk that occurs due to various factors, such as population growth and unregulated land use for grazing, logging, or agriculture, which generates various habitat alterations and degradation of ecosystem services, including the capacity to absorb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses.
On October 14, 2020, a strategic alliance formed by the District Municipality of Machu Picchu, Inkaterra, AJE Group, and the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP), announced their climate commitment to transform Machu Picchu into the first Wonder of the World and the first international tourist destination to achieve carbon-neutral certification.
The most recent project is an innovative technology with the capacity to process eight tons of organic waste through pyrolysis (chemical decomposition at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, without carbon emissions). This generates biochar, a natural fertilizer that will help reforest the cloud forest with one million quina trees, an iconic species present in the national coat of arms and with medicinal properties, and other endemic species, whose cultivation will help restore biodiversity and prevent natural disasters in Machu Picchu.
Peru will have the first Wonder of the Modern World committed and certified as carbon neutral, mitigating its carbon footprint and offering all visitors a climate-responsible experience consistent with the great challenges of the tourism sector and the planet.
INKATERRA
Founded in 1975, Inkaterra has always been at the forefront of ecotourism and sustainable travel in Peru. Inkaterra has spent the past four decades dedicated to authentic travel experiences for those traveling in Peru to preserve biodiversity and local cultures.
It is these tireless sustainability efforts that have earned them numerous prestigious accolades for their environmental responsibility. These efforts include reforestation initiatives, being part of the Machu Picchu Carbon Neutral program, and taking steps to ensure conscious waste management, which supports local pyrolysis of plastic and oil.
And that’s not to mention the 540 species of birds that have been inventoried on the hotel grounds: your very own nature reserve is just outside your suite door.
RAINFOREST EXPEDITIONS
As pioneers of ecotourism in Tambopata, Peru – Rainforest Expeditions is a company with a long history of sustainable practices. Having founded the Tambopata Research Center, located deep in the jungle in an area of the Tambopata Nature Reserve, it has created partnerships with many of the region’s key stakeholders in biodiversity conservation, including local authorities, native communities, and international research teams. Working together, they work to preserve the biodiversity that the Tambopata region provides to the world.
The Tambopata research center plays a pivotal role in several key projects, from the ongoing monitoring of jaguars and aerobotany to the discovery of new species.
