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18 June, 2018

Indigenous community in Colombia’s Lost City open’s its doors to tourism thanks to G Adventures

By Alexandra Coulton

Thanks to a new partnership between G Adventures, their non-profit partner, Planeterra and the indigenous Wiwa community, an Indigenous village in the ancient Lost City of Teyuna will open its doors to tourism for the first time.

Working alongside Wiwa Tours, the first Indigenous travel company in the Sierra Nevada, the new G Adventures seven-day Colombia – Lost City Trekking tour includes an Indigenous Wiwa guide, overnight stays in Wiwa campsites and a new exit route, open exclusively to G Adventures and Wiwa Tours travellers.

Leading groups through the farmland surrounding the Lost City, the new route will pass through the Wiwa village of Gotsezhi, where travellers will undergo a traditional soul-cleansing ceremony before entering.

Once inside, travellers will visit the community, with a G Adventures Chief Experience Officer to translate, learning first-hand about their customs, before enjoying a traditional meal cooked by the women using local ingredients.

Committed to supporting Indigenous communities around the world, Planeterra and G Adventures have been working with local partner Wiwa Tours since 2015 with the aim of identifying opportunities for the communities along the Lost City trekking route.

Colombia Lost City Wiwa Women and Travellers River Crossing Planeterra Project - MG5426 Lg RGB

Working side by side with Wiwa Tours, founded by Aduanemaku or Eduardo Gil, they developed a community enterprise in the village of Gotsezhi for women to demonstrate and sell their traditional woven bags and handicrafts as well as to provide meals to travellers trekking to the Lost City.

Located a short distance from the village to respect the community, a new training kitchen, hammock rest area, bathrooms and handicraft demonstration were funded by Planeterra and Wiwa Tours.

“Sustainable Indigenous tourism in the Sierra Nevada region not only offers employment for many of the local communities but also helps to protect their traditional cultures and customs, which have been threatened in recent years,” Jamie Sweeting, vice president of social enterprise and responsible travel for G Adventures, said.

“In 2017, Planeterra introduced a set of industry guidelines, to improve tourism’s interaction with Indigenous communities. Using these guidelines, we work to ensure the long-term prosperity and survival of communities like the Wiwa people through tourism, while allowing our travellers to learn more about their cultures and traditions.”

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columbia g adventures indegenous community lost city Wiwa community