As part of the Sustainable Tourism and Protected Areas in a Post-COVID World project, IUCN and Planeterra worked with the communities of Río Abiseo National Park and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve in Peru to develop community-based tourism enterprises and connect them with the travel market.

One of the best ways to achieve that is through familiarisation trips, also known as FAM Trips, where tour operators can learn first-hand about the communities. That is why organizing a FAM Trip was one of the main initiatives of the project.

Last October, representatives from different Peruvian tour operators gathered in the Río Abiseo National Park and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve to discover all the wonderful experiences the communities have to offer.

FAM Trip in the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve

From October 16 to October 22, six representatives from different Peruvian tour operators, two management representatives from Amarakaeri and the IUCN media team, gathered in the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve to discover all the wonderful experiences the communities of Queros, Shintuya, Boca Ishiriwe and Puerto Azul Mberowe have to offer.

During the FAM Trip, the participants had the opportunity to connect with the communities, learn about their culture and natural environment, taste their traditional dishes and experience new tourism proposals. The main activities included:

• Visiting the Hinkiori petroglyphs and getting to know the local handicrafts in Queros.
• Conservation and handicraft experience by the “Oteri” initiative, culinary tasting by the “Wandar Wachinokeri” initiative and visiting the hot springs in Shintuya.
• Visiting the macaw clay lick in Puerto Azul Mberowe.
• Visiting a mammal clay lick in Boca Ishiriwe.

The FAM Trip has been a great learning experience for the communities, especially for two of them since it was their first time hosting tour operators. The feedback from the participants will be of great value to upgrading the existing tourism offers or creating new experiences.

FAM Trip in the Río Abiseo National Park

From October 27 to October 29, four local and regional Peruvian tour operators, four destination managers from the public and private sectors and the IUCN media team visited the communities of Dos de Mayo, Pucallpillo, Santa Rosa, Pizarro and San Juan del Abiseo in the Río Abiseo National Park.

During the FAM Trip, the participants had the opportunity to connect with the communities, learn about their culture and natural environment, taste their traditional dishes and experience new tourism proposals. The main activities included:

• The Chocoplatano gastronomic experience.
• Nature and cultural experiences through the cocoa fields in Pulcapillo.
• Touring the Meliponas circuit in Pizarro.
• Tasting of bark and root-based beverages in San Juan del Abiseo

Despite it being the first time the communities hosted tour operators, they did an outstanding job. They prepared special receptions, speeches and dances and had excellent time management.

The communities were motivated to take the lead and start “now”, especially after the construction works that were carried out through the Cash-for-Work mechanism.

The FAM Trip participants provided inputs, helped them with formalities to operate and shared the next joint steps. This feedback inspired communities and other stakeholders to compromise and continue working to promote the destination and the great tourism experiences they have to offer.

These FAM trips are just the beginning of a great journey in the sustainable tourism sector for the communities in the Río Abiseo National Park and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. We are very excited to see what the future holds for them.

For more information, please contact Richard Bazán, Community Tourism Project Manager rbazan@planeterra.org and/ or Ulrika Åberg, Programme Officer, Protected and Conserved Areas Team, IUCN, ulrika.aberg@iucn.org

Images below are from the Chocoplatano experience in Rio Abiseo National Park and Conservation and handicraft experience by Oteri in Amarakaeri Communal Reserve