Cultural Heritage and Artisanal Tourism in La Guajira

Summary

In 2024, Mutual Empathy and Fundacion Alpina committed to create a unique and specialized form of tourism in La Guajira in Colombia called Canoa Cósmica to built technical capacity and expand economic opportunity for 600 individuals and preserve the natural heritage and cultural expressions of the community over the next two years. Canoa Cósmica aims to establish a deep connection between travelers, the diverse territories they explore, and the vibrant communities they encounter. The project focuses on improving capacities for sustainable crafts, tourism, and regenerative agriculture. Their approach allows for the strengthening of social and productive inclusion processes sustainably through authentic, conscious, and responsible experiences centered on ancestral knowledge.

Approach

The mission of Canoa Cósmica is to create a unique and specialized form of tourism in La Guajira, offering a synergy between tourism, handicrafts, and agri-food systems for its 600 inhabitants over the next two years. This approach allows for the strengthening of social and productive inclusion processes sustainably through authentic, conscious, and responsible experiences centered on ancestral knowledge. Canoa Cosmica aims to establish a deep connection between travelers, the diverse territories they explore, and the vibrant communities they encounter.

The project focuses on improving capacities for sustainable crafts, tourism, and productive processes through two main blocks of activities: with ethnic communities and with tourists and tourism agents.

For the communities, the proposal involves preparing and strengthening the management of their craft and tourism activities and productive ecosystems. This includes the application of a differential methodology and the development of diagnostics for artisanal groups and routes, addressing socio-organizational, productive and tourism aspects. The productive strengthening includes access to potable water, energy, agricultural inputs, raw materials, the creation of sustainable processes, and the preservation of artisanal crafts and techniques. These initiatives will be implemented with the support and collaboration of the Gobernación de La Guajira, a branch of the Colombian government.
Additionally, with the help of the Alpina Foundation, the project aims to strengthen the agri-food system with families and promote self-managed associative models in rural contexts to diversify sources of income, diversify access, supply and consumption of food with high nutritional value, access markets, strengthen savings capacity, facilitate financial inclusion, promote economic autonomy that allows the empowerment of rural families and women increasing their welfare and improving their living conditions, offering an alternative for income generation and promoting the welfare of the community.

Action Plan

Project Phases
A. Authentic experiences: (Estimated date: 02/15/2025) Collaboration with the Wayuu community in La Guajira for the application and development of a differential methodology, addressing socio-organizational, productive and tourism aspects.

Workshop on identity and symbologies with tourists

Definition of unique tourism experiences with the communities.

Training and tourism education for the teams.

Creation of best practices manuals for communities and visitors.

Implementation of capacity studies and design of tourism experiences

B. Work with small farmers promoting the development of agroecological practices within the agri-food systems: (Estimated date: 03/15/2025) Training, technical assistance with active participation of community members in the agro-food systems.

Accompaniment and identification of areas for improvement in agrifood systems: in food security and productive projects

Strengthening savings capacity and financial inclusion through the consolidation of self-managed saving groups

Strengthening of short marketing circuits

Empowerment of women

Strengthening self-managed savings and credit groups .

C. Commercial Activity: (Estimated date: 15/06/2026) Definition and development of handcrafted products and techniques selected by the community.

Building a Digital Platform that connects Travelers with Authentic Experiences and Indigenous Crafts
Web-based platform that fosters meaningful connections between travelers, Indigenous communities in Colombia, and their ancestral knowledge.

Feature a curated selection of artisan products for purchase.

Content creation and marketing strategy (Content Marketing for Authentic and responsible Experiences focussed around ancestral knowledge) Social media management, Photography & Film

Background

Colombia’s cultural and community tourism, especially in artisanal tourism is currently underdeveloped and lacks competitiveness. Ethnic and rural communities face challenges in showcasing their cultural knowledge and earning income from tourism, exacerbated by disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating new marketing channels and digital empowerment.

According to statistics provided by DANE and Fundacion Alpina, La Guajira Department, home to 270,413 Wayuu people, faces severe poverty with a 66% poverty rate. Only 4% of rural Wayuu have access to clean water, and nearly 77% experience food insecurity due to climate change effects like drier summers and flooding. The handicrafts sector employs over 350,000 people, predominantly women, contributing to 15% of manufacturing industry employment.

This approach involves developing tools to empower indigenous communities and facilitate knowledge exchange, supported by Fundación Alpina to enhance food security and sustainable development. Through rural extension and collective processes, small farmers and agribusinesses integrate into the national market, aiming to maximize economic, social, and cultural benefits while minimizing risks.

The target market includes ethnic and rural communities, domestic and foreign tourists interested in cultural and community tourism, benefiting poor, low-income, and vulnerable populations, Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, peasant communities, and innovative SMEs. The synergy among tourism, handicrafts, and agri-food systems drives local economy, equity, livelihoods, employment, and global dissemination of Colombia’s heritage.

Progress Update

Partnership Opportunities

Mutual Empathy and Fundacion Alpina are seeking financial resources to initiate and strengthen phases 1 and 2 of the project (authentic experiences and commercial activity) ., Mutual Empathy is offering knowledge and best practices related to the development of artisanal tourism and support the sustainability of local agri-food systems in the region.