WHO WE ARE
ACOTUR, The Colombian Responsible Tourism Association is working for the development and the promotion of responsible tourism in Colombia. We are committed to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage. We work to strengthen the country’s social backbone for generations to come through honesty, respect, cooperation, and trustworthiness.
MISSION AND VISION
Our mission is to transform and unite Colombia's tourism sector and turn it into an agent for the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, the reconstruction of the social fabric, and the construction of a new collective narrative of Colombia.
OUR FOUNDATIONS
We can achieve our goals with these strategic actions:
- Coordinate and modernize programs to promote social inclusion.
- Develop articulated market strategies for the tourism sector improving and supporting strategic decision making
- Promote and encourage a sustainable tourism market and its value chain.
- Empower various regions and their leaders.
- Develop and strengthen ACOTUR's capacities.
VALUES
Our values and the people that work within ACOTUR stand out as the core of the association. These values are non-negotiable. They give us a sense of community.
- Transparency of our actions and projects
- Respect for communities and the environment.
- Passion for our country, nature, and cultural heritage.
- Legality and trustworthiness in our operations.
Goal for 2025
Create sustainable development opportunities for 1,000,000 Colombians, managed by ACOTUR and its associates.
SUSTAINABILITY
Each of our ACOTUR associates is committed to carrying out activities that benefit local communities in Colombia and preserve the country's natural and cultural heritage.
The main objective of sustainable tourism is to improve the livelihoods of the locals, and the experience of the visitors.
The ACOTUR community is convinced that the cultural and natural wealth of Colombia is unique. Therefore our mission is to lead sustainable tourism projects that care for and empower our local communities improving the livelihood of Colombians.ACOTUR members have integrated sustainability policies, ranging from environmentally responsible practices, such as reducing the use of single use plastic, to supporting the modernization and technification of the community's local businesses.
The initiatives from the ACOTUR members are based on three main principles:
- Their operations are now based in “coopetition”, a method in which businesses cooperate and compete at the same time, articulating their operations with institutions. This blurs out the sense of competition, transforming division into unity.
- They have managed to successfully transform communities from service providers to decision makers. The communities being directly impacted, have now become the main narrative when it comes to new touristic destinations.
- ACOTUR members must understand the social, economic, and environmental impact that touristic activities have. Therefore they must transform their value chai towards supporting conservation strategies from local communities, mitigating negative environmental impact and restoring the social fabric in new destinations.
Our legacy:
We are transforming the tourism sector to become agents of conservation, improving and contributing to the reconstruction of our regions.