Image from RESPONS.org
Welcome to RESPONS, an organization dedicated to spreading and teaching the importance of RESPONSible traveling. RESPONS is a tour operator that specializes in sustainable tourism, working directly with local communities all over Peru. They have offices in Huaraz, Cusco, and Lima. Their mission is: “To offer, develop, stimulate and broaden sustainable tourism in Central and Northern Peru.” How RESPONS does it is by being a bridge between tourism and local communities, connecting together the benefits and needs of tourism with the benefits and needs of communities. They are able to accomplish this by focusing on three elements, which I have copied directly from their website, RESPONS.org:
Marketing: adding value to small and medium-sized tourism products offered by communities or the private sector.
Development: extend new sustainable tourism products in communities that add value to the existing offer and answer to demand. This is in cooperation with communities and NGO’s (non-government organizations).
Transformation: educate, influence and guide communities, the private and public sector, NGO’s and tourists. This transformation is all in the subject of sustainable tourism, with special focus on community-based tourism.
RESPONS also focuses on the principles of ecotourism, two of which I will mention in this blog post.
1 It should play an active role in conserving the natural resources which provide the visitors their experience.
2 Ensure that the long term benefits- to the resource, to the local community, and to industry (benefits may be conservation, scientific, social, or economic).
Marketing: adding value to small and medium-sized tourism products offered by communities or the private sector.
Development: extend new sustainable tourism products in communities that add value to the existing offer and answer to demand. This is in cooperation with communities and NGO’s (non-government organizations).
Transformation: educate, influence and guide communities, the private and public sector, NGO’s and tourists. This transformation is all in the subject of sustainable tourism, with special focus on community-based tourism.
RESPONS also focuses on the principles of ecotourism, two of which I will mention in this blog post.
1 It should play an active role in conserving the natural resources which provide the visitors their experience.
2 Ensure that the long term benefits- to the resource, to the local community, and to industry (benefits may be conservation, scientific, social, or economic).
Photo courtesy of RESPONS.org
RESPONS offers different economically beneficial and environmentally friendly opportunities to enjoy the culture and the natural scenery. RESPONS has paired up with the local people to offer the most intimate experience while benefiting the local communities. High-end mountain accommodations and Intercultural Homestays in both Andean and Jungle villages offer travelers a unique opportunity to stay with locals and have them as their personal guides around the community and surrounding region. It’s economically friendly by using local and natural resources for everything like preparing meals, using local materials and labor for building projects and traditional medicines for medical purposes. It’s environmentally friendly by educating travelers of the importance of RESPONSible traveling:
Travel to meet, not to conquer
Be culturally sensitive
Understand culture in their own context
Don’t create barriers
Be environmentally friendly
Be economically beneficial
Travel to meet, not to conquer
Be culturally sensitive
Understand culture in their own context
Don’t create barriers
Be environmentally friendly
Be economically beneficial
Students on study trip
RESPONS teaches these viewpoints by conducting RESPONSible Study Trips, where high school or college levels students are given the opportunity to participate in community service projects, learn more about sustainable tourism, development studies, forest and nature conservation, anthropology, agriculture and Latin-American studies.
RESPONS provides the logistical smarts needed to ensure that communities and tour operators are on the same page in order to increase profitability while maintaining sustainable and responsible tourism. They work to ensure that the money generated for these communities stays in the communities and helps them expand their capacity to receive tourists. By doing this, the tour operators benefit by providing tourists with a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to visit Peru on a more intimate level while still traveling responsibly and benefiting the local economy, than look into working with RESPONS. You can have a positive impact on the local regions while enjoying the natural beauties Peru has to offer.
RESPONS provides the logistical smarts needed to ensure that communities and tour operators are on the same page in order to increase profitability while maintaining sustainable and responsible tourism. They work to ensure that the money generated for these communities stays in the communities and helps them expand their capacity to receive tourists. By doing this, the tour operators benefit by providing tourists with a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to visit Peru on a more intimate level while still traveling responsibly and benefiting the local economy, than look into working with RESPONS. You can have a positive impact on the local regions while enjoying the natural beauties Peru has to offer.
