The community of Oyacachi is nestled in an Andean valley in the Napo Province of Ecuador. The community has authority over 63,000 hectares, all of which are located within the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve. The Reserve is home to a wide range of biodiversity, including hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and endemic flora. Well known for its thermal springs, the region is a popular destination with domestic and international tourists. Oyacachi Adventure Tours expands and diversifies the region’s existing tourism industry by providing a number of nature-based and cultural guided tour products, none of which previously existed. In doing so, Oyacachi Adventure Tours establishes a direct linkage between the local residents and the world-class natural areas that surround the community. This has, for example, decreased the use of slash and burn agricultural techniques to expand cattle pastures and farmland. Other concrete steps taken by Oyacachi Adventure Tours to promoting a sustainable tourism industry are:
• The creation of a conservation fund which is supported by a percentage of sales from both the Oyacachi Adventure Tours as well as from the soon-to-be-built Ukuku Lodge & Spa. The fund supports local and regional biodiversity protection projects and attempts to combat rampant, large-scale deforestation in the region.
• Subsidizing local farmers who maintain their lands in a naturally vegetated state, rather than clearing them for agriculture or cattle grazing.
• Creating a sustainable form of employment for up to 50 members of the community.
Community and Conservation Benefits
Oyacachi offers a unique travel experience that is exclusively offered through the community’s very own locally ran tour operator. Who better to show you all that beautiful natural settings and adventurous activities than the people that have been born and raised in the community. Oyacachi Adventure Tours will give you a great opportunity to experience everything the area has to offer culturally and naturally. Your visit also gives the community the opportunity to expand on reforestation efforts and other conservation efforts. Your business enables the community to preserve their 63,000 hectares (155,670.87 acres), as preserving the natural state of their land (all located within Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve) will continue allowing interested clients like you to visit and share their world.
Responsible Travel Tips
We are proud to be a sustainable tourism provider, and as such encourage guests to abide by some simple guidelines:
We the staff of Oyacachi Adventure Tours, a community owned and operated tour company, are proud to adopt and promote the following responsible tourism policies in effort to operate and grow our business in a way that protects the natural and cultural resources of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve…
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