Country: Bolivia

Organization: Chalalán Ecolodge – Madidi National Park

Year the initiative began: 1992

Project Website: -

Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions:

• Main barrier addressed: Lack of local input
• Main insight addressed: Incorporate sustainable practices

What is the goal of your innovation?
To improve the socio-economic conditions of the people from our native community and stop the young people migration from the rural areas to the city.

How does your approach support or embody geotourism?
Chalalán Ecolodge is an initiative that is 100%managed by the community and therefore the benefits obtained from the eco and geo tourism directly benefits 116 families from the indigenous community of San José de Uchupiamonas. Chalalán is the pride of its inhabitants, it has helped value and love the cultured and environment around them.

Describe your approach in detial. How is it innovative?
Chalalán is one of the pioneers eco tourism community initiatives in Bolivia, 100% owned by the community, where the community manages and operates its own eco enterprise, which is legally constituted in Bolivia. It covers eco-tourism, gastronomy, accommodation, transportation and a service of indigenous tour guides. 100% of the people working in Chalalán comes from the indigenous community San José de Uchupiamonas thus 100 of the benefits are helping small health, education, drinking water system and territory management projects for the local community.

What types of partnerships or professional developement would be most beneficial in spearding your innovation?
The academic training in areas such as sales, marketing, tourism, administration and accounting would help to consolidate and to spread with greater force the experience of eco tourism achieved in Chalalán. The partnerships in subjects of training, formation, assistance to national and international fairs of tourism would allow to show to the entire world the experiences of the indigenous towns in issues of economic, cultural, social and environmentally responsible tourism.

In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
To gain a greater conscience and social, cultural, economic, environmental responsibility in the governments and institutions.

Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
Chalalán is an initiative that has permitted that a native community would not disappear completely, it has managed to stop the migration of the families of the community, it has allowed to consolidate the territorial property, at present recognized by the central government as Common Land of Origin San José of Uchupiamonas. Chalalán generates up to 37 direct jobs in the local community and even some 60 during the high season of tourism. Chalalán has permitted that many species of wildlife that were in danger of extinction, are now being repopulated again, species like the spider monkey, wild boars and the jaguar just to name a few

How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
The visitor that arrives at Chalalán interacts with the local ipeople all the time, he learns about the local culture, the beliefs and myths, he learns to interpret the nature from the local knowledge, about the ancient cultures, he learns about the forms of life in the forest, he gets to know medicinal plants, timber-yielding trees, palm tree and the behavior of animals in the rainforest of the Madidi.

In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
The indigenous community of San José de Uchupiamonas is the sole owner of the enterprise Chalalán, including the operations and management of eco tourism activities. 100 %of the benefits are helping small health, education, drinking water system and territory management projects for the local community.

Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?
Chalalán is helping to love mother nature, to value the local culture of the indigenous communities. Visitors coming to Chalalán receive a great deal of cultural and environmental information, about the economic responsibility to the local culture, about the multiplying effect of their money in the local communities.

Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
Chalalán Ecolodge is an indigenous initiative that is 100% self sustainable since 2001. With income generated from the visits from national and international tourists it covers all its administrative and operational expenses. The current demand for Chalalán comes from England, the United States and Australia; as a potential demand we consider countries such as Germany, France and Spain.

How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
Chalalán has received in the last five years an average of 1,100 visitors per year, which has generated near 280 thousand American dollars each year, an important sum of this money goes to the central government for payment of taxes and; with the remainder, the business covers its operating and administrative costs. In the high season of the tourism Chalalán employs to 37 people from the community of San José of Uchupiamonas, 16 of them work full time and the rest works in a rotation system. During the high season 20 people are additionally employed for eventual works, whether in transportation, food, guides, logistic personnel and maintenance of the tourist infrastructure.

What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
Chalalán has in fact already generated a positive impact in the society at the local and international levels and world, alone in Bolivia at present there exist around 80 projects of tourism for communities. Chalalán has become a model of sustainable local development and the goal is to continue expanding our experience toward other local communities in Bolivia and the entire world.

What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
In Bolivia the major impediment to consolidate initiatives such as Chalalán is the lack of regulations that recognize and encourage the development of common undertakings handled by native towns. On the other hand the tourist insecurity due to the constant economic, social, and political problems untied in recent years in our country, impedes an ideal setting for the growth of the tourism.

What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.
CHALALAN is the history of a dream come true. A dream that was born in 1992, in the depths of the Bolivian Amazon, in our community San José of Uchupiamonas located in the heart of the National Park Madidi. San José is a community of Quechua and Tacanas people, conformed by 116 families, who for more than three hundred years have lived in this zone, the forest of the National Park MADIDI, surrounded by its magic and beauty. This forest for us has provided our living, providing us with resources for the daily subsistence of our families. The hunt, the fishing, the harvesting of fruits and the timber-yielding trees were in that time the activities of subsistence for our community. During the 80s our community was in danger of disappearance due to the poverty and misery in which we lived. Because of it near 40 families at that time abandoned our community in the search of better living conditions for their children. The lack of attention from the Central Government obliged us to seek our own development. Surrounded by the valuable wealth of the forest that we inherit from our ancestors, a group of young leaders of the community (Zeno Limaco, Alejandro Limaco and Guido Mamani) thought about developing tourism in the valley of the Tuíchi on the banks of the Gap Chalalán in February 28, 1992. From that moment with the aid of many friends mainly from outside (USES, ENGLAND, NORWAY, AUSTRALIA, ISRAEL), among them the Mr. Jossi Ghinsberg we begun to seek aid and support from the institutions in our country, but none took pity on us because, simply we did not offer any guarantee as a native town. Tired to seek aid, we met with friends from International Conservation – Bolivia, with whom we signed an agreement of Refundable Technical Cooperation “ATN/ME-4757-BO for the "Program of Sustainable Development and Ecotourism in San José of Uchupiamonas" in 1995 and with it, the establishment of a protection area upon proposing National Park Madidi. The execution of the project was in charge of International Conservation from 1996 to 2001. Subsequently our community took charge from the 100% of the property and operation of the project of Ecoturismo Chalalán. Now that same forest welcomes him. For us, the native people of San José of Uchupiamonas, the history of CHALALAN is the history of our commitment with the nature. In Chalalán the forest is its host and we his guides. !!!Welcome to CHALALAN!!!

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
Name: Ciro Alex Villca Limaco born on April 10,1978 age 29 years old, married Cel: 712 82697 E-mail: alexvillca@chalalan.com Studies: 2006 Tourism BA – UMSA, La Paz – Bolivia. Belog to the College of Tourist guides of La Paz con Matricula CPT-V-003. 1998 Accounting. Instituto de Desarrollo Regional del Norte I.D.R. - UMSA. San Buenaventura, La Paz- Bolivia. 1997 Ecotourism Guide. Instituto de Desarrollo Regional del Norte, I.D.R. - UMSA. San Buenaventura, La Paz – Bolivia. 1995

Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on teh competition homepage.
Listen to the call from the forest … Discover the mysteries and wonders of nature…. Live the most extraordinary experience of Community Ecotourism …in Chalalán… find Us in the heart of the National Park Madidi, one of the richest protected areas of the planet biologically speaking, a place that the scientists consider a "Biodiversity hotspot". Our Ecolodge has been designed respecting the environment, for it we used our traditional construction techniques, we use materials from the forest that do not damage the environment. The care of the environment is our greater responsibility, because of it we use solar panels, process dirty water and garbage recycling. Chalalán has been thought to receive demanding ecotourists who seek the most remote destinies with a high level service, where also 100% of the benefits go directly to the local community, thus favoring the protection and conservation of nature and a remote culture. For us, the native people of San José of Uchupiamonas, the history of CHALALAN is the history of our commitment to nature. In Chalalán the forest is the host and we its guides. Welcome to CHALALAN!!!

Contact Information
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Chalalán Ecolodge – Madidi National Park
Mailing Address
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