Make a positive impact

When we think about a trip, we consider various alternatives: who we will go with, whether we want to rest or engage in adventure tourism, if we prefer the beach or the mountains, if we favor an urban or nature-surrounded place. All options are valid and depend on the traveler’s desire. But there is an item on the checklist that we cannot ignore, and that is to create our itinerary with a positive impact. In this article, we will tell you what it is and how you can make it possible.

Choosing a Triple Impact tourism agency, such as Boomerang Viajes, which was founded with a focus on Solidarity and Sustainable tourism and is certified as a B Corporation, is the first step in becoming a Conscious Traveler who values the exchange of experiences with local populations, respects fair trade, and cares for the environment.

What is Solidarity Tourism?

It encompasses environmentally, culturally, and socially respectful tourism activities. It allows for an exchange of experiences and creates a reciprocal relationship between the traveler and the community. The economic benefits of the activity boost personal and community development, and visitors have a truly participatory attitude in their travel experience.

Solidarity Tourism is a way of living and achieving sustainability.

How to make solidarity tourism a sustainable activity?

At Boomerang Viajes, our Travel Programs are designed to ensure that each proposal seeks to make that place a sustainable tourist destination. Each itinerary includes a table to evaluate the impact of tourism spending on the sustainability of tourism activities. This is completed when finalizing the budget for a trip to show the traveler how the total cost of the trip is distributed and what its impact will be on local economic development. In addition, the Carbon Footprint is calculated, and actions are taken for its offset.

• The Seals

The choice of suppliers, services, and destinations is key to implementing good practices that encourage travelers to minimize their environmental impact, promote the cultural heritage and interaction with other cultures, and boost local economies. Therefore, at Boomerang Viajes, we have designed four seals with the purpose of identifying, in a simple and quick manner, how each proposal responds, to a greater or lesser extent, to safeguarding a comprehensive sustainability vision. Thus, all the itineraries offered have at least one of these seals:

RESPONSIBLE:“ENSURING OTHERS’ WORK.” The proposed activities offer the destination’s traditional services and are provided by local people, thereby ensuring their contribution to local development. The impact on sustainability is guaranteed by contracting local service providers who adhere to decent work guidelines.

INTERCULTURAL:“VALUING OTHERS’ CULTURE.” Travel programs include spaces for exchange with local residents, ensuring that tourism development strengthens cultural identity and promotes handicrafts and other cultural expressions, preserving authentic offerings as a gift to the traveler, where it is not just a service but rather a step towards personal interaction.

ECOLOGICAL:“PROTECTING OTHERS’ ENVIRONMENT.” The service providers included in the Travel Program have adopted certain environmental policy indicators, waste management, energy efficiency, water consumption levels, accessibility parameters, etc.

LOCAL 100%:“CONTRIBUTING TO OTHERS’ LIVELIHOOD SUSTAINABILITY.” The services offered in the travel program safeguard the consumption of locally produced food or products within a 50 km radius of the visited destination, handicrafts, hiring local guides, among others. This ensures a comprehensive productive development view, thereby helping to prevent migrations from rural areas. The services offered in the tourism value chain are produced locally within the framework of fair trade, where the local producer is valued.

• Conscious Traveler

Before, during, and after your trip, the Conscious Traveler takes several actions to have a positive impact on the community they visit. This is why, at Boomerang Viajes, we have drawn up a Code of Conduct, inspired by the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and other travelers’ codes. We share this with our travelers so that, when planning their trip, they undertake the following commitments:

BEFORE THE TRIP

Gather as much information as possible about the destination and take the time to understand its customs, rules, and traditions. Consider that the receiving community has different customs and cultures.

DURING THE TRIP

• Ask for permission from the family and/or neighbors of the community to be photographed.
• Respect the schedules and private spaces of the host family. Do not create annoying noises.
• Do not give candies, objects, or medicines unrelated to children without the express consent of the host family.
• Do not appear shirtless.
• Protect children from exploitation in tourism.

Only make promises to the local people you visit if you are prepared to fulfill them. Be aware that people in the visited place often have different concepts of time and thought patterns than yours.

Your trip can contribute to the economic and social development of the visited place. Buy local crafts and products to support the local economy. Additionally, these are true expressions of local culture.

• Respect the fixed prices, which are the result of a consensus and fair trade criteria.
• Do not buy products made from endangered plants or animals.
• Help preserve the natural environment. Do not pick up or take protected archaeological remains.
• Use resources (water, energy) responsibly, avoiding waste.
• Limit waste production and place it in the designated location for that purpose.
• Do not disturb animals.
• Follow the guidance of local guides during activities.

In case of unforeseen events, have understanding and patience, as those who receive you are willing to provide you with a unique experience.

UPON RETURNING

A nice tradition after the trip is to send pictures to those who have been photographed as a reminder of your stay.

Real change begins with oneself. Choosing sustainable tourist destinations, making responsible consumption, and valuing the history and customs of local communities are the starting point to have a positive impact, making Solidarity and Sustainable Tourism a reality.”