Tourism lives off the interaction of many. It is the local inhabitants who share their landscapes and the culture of their land with travelers from all over the world. The international tourism industry is the third largest industry in the world; Beyond its economic power, its ecological, social and cultural effects are of great importance in destinations, that is both an opportunity and a risk. If the population participates in the development of tourism, it can be designed to be socially responsible and, at the same time, respectful of the environment.
The "TO DO Award" is an international competition for socially responsible tourism, and tourism projects are awarded in whose planning and execution the local population is closely involved, in which resources are used in a respectful way with the environment and are generated sustainable business cycles. This creates new perspectives, strengthens self-efficacy and cultural identity, promotes equal opportunities and social progress, including fair working conditions, educational opportunities, and social security.
Rarámuri Experiences is one of the 5 global finalist projects of the TODO Awards for being a social business model that combines various elements of responsible tourism, resulting in locally profitable, strongly inspiring, fully interactive, culturally authentic and unique experiences. world.
Rarámuri Experiences is the door to the Rarámuri culture in the Sierra Tarahumara or Copper Canyon Destination in the communities of Huetosachi and Bacajípare in Chihuahua, Mexico.
The co-design process for this experience is based on the Market Ready Model. Market Ready is the model selected by adventure and experiential tourism companies in order to prepare to offer competitive tours and experiences that create meaningful connections between visitors and hosts, while responding to the needs of the global tourism market. To do this, it uses tools and methods based on market dynamics, measurable and scalable to strengthen the professionalization of companies and maximize the efforts and investments of key allies, while contributing to the well-being of local communities and the conservation of their nature. and culture.
The co-design involved a wide range of relevant stakeholders at the local level, starting with members of both communities, and including representatives of the Government of Chihuahua, the State Secretariat for Innovation and Economic Development, the Tourism Promotion Trust of the State of Chihuahua (¡Ay ¡Chihuahua!), The Copper Canyon Adventure Park and the Commercial Directorate of “The Chepe”, And organizations like Community Technical Consulting (CONTEC), the Responsible Travel Center (CREST) And The Monkey's Hand. The last two being the ones who led the co-design and implementation of the projects.
From its inception, the project was based on a sustainable livelihoods approach, which means that the entire design of the experiences was based on the needs and interests of the communities. The sustainable livelihoods approach is a methodology used to know the current state that defines the quality of life of the community, starting from the initial question: what does a family need to live well? It contributes in a relevant way since it is the starting point for the visualization, projection and establishment of future indicators for the development of the tourism project, it is based on 5 capitals: social, human, natural, financial and physical.
Based on the Market Ready Model, Experiencias Rarámuri transcended from an Emerging profile to a Visitor Ready Profile, achieving that 40 families complement their livelihoods with tourism, increasing by 500% the economic income of which 20% is reinvested in sustainable livelihoods as a community health fund , rainwater harvesting, road repair, among others.
Do you want to live Rarámuri Experiences? www.experienciasraramuri.com
On behalf of the Institute of Tourism and Development and the sponsors of the 'TO DO' Award, we would like to thank you very much for your participation in the TO DO 2021 Award The pre-selection jury of the International Socially Responsible Tourism Competition TO DO 2021 Award after reviewing all the applications submitted is pleased to inform you that they were very impressed with your project and nominated "The case of 'Experiencias Rarámuri' as a successful application of the Market Ready Model" for the TO DO Award Jury.Congratulations!
Claudia Mitteneder, Managing Director | TO DO AWARD | STUDIENKREIS FÜR TOURISMUS UND ENTWICKLUNG E. V
