Our Commitment to Sustainable Tourism
Travel That Creates a Positive Impact
We believe travel can create lasting benefits for the people, communities, and places we visit. At KonTour Travel, we integrate sustainability into the way we design our journeys, work with local partners, and develop tourism experiences across Colombia.
Our approach focuses on supporting local livelihoods, respecting cultural heritage, and protecting Colombia’s natural and cultural diversity. We work with community-based tourism initiatives, local organisations, and trusted partners to create meaningful experiences that give travellers a closer connection to the destinations they visit while contributing to the local economy.
For us, responsible tourism is about more than reducing negative impacts. It is about creating opportunities for communities, encouraging the responsible use of natural resources, and helping preserve Colombia’s landscapes, traditions, and biodiversity for future generations.
Over 15 Years of Experience
What began as a dream to reconnect with family and our director´s birth country has grown into a shared passion for every member of our team. Over the past 15 years, much has changed. However, we have remained true to our boutique approach, offering personalized service and carefully crafted travel experiences.
More than 5000 trusted travelers
Over the years, we have had the privilege of welcoming more than 5,000 travelers from around the world. Each journey has strengthened our commitment to personalized service, authentic experiences, and creating lasting memories across Colombia.
Founding-partners of ACOTUR
Our agency as founding members of the Colombian Association of Responsible Tourism (ACOTUR), is committed to promoting sustainable and responsible tourism in Colombia. Through ACOTUR’s initiatives, more than 1,200 jobs have been created, benefiting over 4,500 families across the country while supporting the long-term development of local communities and destinations.
> 100 positive Ratings
KonTour Travel boasts over one hundred 5 star reviews and an average rating of 4,8 stars.
Supporting Communities
We believe tourism can create meaningful opportunities when local communities are at the heart of the experience. That is why we work with community-led initiatives and local organisations that strengthen livelihoods, support cultural heritage, and contribute to sustainable development across Colombia.
Explore some of the initiatives we support and discover how they contribute to local communities and sustainable tourism across Colombia. Click on the project cards below to learn more about each one.
Sustainable Travel | Experiences that make a difference
Traveling through Colombia offers an opportunity to connect with diverse landscapes, living traditions, and the communities that make each region unique. By choosing locally led experiences, travelers can support small-scale producers, artisans, guides, and family-run businesses while helping preserve local knowledge and cultural heritage.
Across Colombia’s different regions, sustainable tourism goes beyond visiting beautiful places. It creates meaningful encounters, strengthens local economies, and celebrates regional identity. At the same time, it encourages the protection of Colombia’s remarkable natural landscapes and cultural diversity.
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From Sugarcane to Panela
Meet the people behind Colombia’s panela tradition. From harvesting sugarcane to working in traditional trapiches, discover the skills, stories and rural communities behind one of Colombia’s most beloved ingredients.
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Meet the Misak People in Silvia
Discover the culture of the Misak people in Silvia, Cauca. Visit the lively Tuesday market, share a traditional meal with a local family and learn about their cosmovision, ancestral traditions and connection to the land.
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Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia
Where Coffee, Culture and Nature Meet Colombia’s Coffee Cultural Landscape is much more than a place where coffee is grown. It is a living landscape shaped by generations of farming families, steep Andean mountains, rich biodiversity and a deeply rooted coffee culture. In 2011, UNESCO inscribed the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia on the World…
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Sustainable Tourism in Action | Pacific Coast
On Colombia’s Pacific coast, Ecolodge El Almejal puts sustainable tourism into practice. From reforestation and sea turtle conservation to supporting local communities, its initiatives show how tourism can help protect nature while creating opportunities for the people who call Bahía Solano home.
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Tourism as a Path to Peace | San José del Guaviare
Discover San José del Guaviare, a former conflict-affected region where community-based tourism creates new opportunities for local communities. Meet local guides, explore remarkable landscapes and experience how tourism can support sustainable livelihoods, protect nature and contribute to peace.
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Hato La Aurora: Where Conservation and Llanero Life Meet
Discover Hato La Aurora in Colombia’s Llanos, a remarkable nature reserve where wildlife conservation, traditional cattle ranching and sustainable tourism come together. From jaguars and capybaras to hundreds of bird species, the reserve protects the region’s biodiversity while offering travellers an authentic insight into Llanero culture and life on the plains.
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Honey Route in the Matavén Jungle | Cerros de Mavecure
Moravia is a powerful example of community-led urban transformation in Medellín. Once a landfill, the neighborhood has been reshaped through local initiatives that restore the environment, strengthen community identity, and reclaim the territory. For travelers interested in community-based tourism in Medellín, Moravia offers a chance to discover a different side of the city—one shaped by…
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Ciudad Bolívar – Graffiti, Art & Community | Bogotá
Ciudad Bolívar shows how art can drive social transformation. Its murals give residents a voice to share their stories, celebrate their culture, and reshape their community’s narrative. Today, the neighborhood stands as a vivid example of how creativity strengthens identity, inspires pride, and encourages dialogue. Visitors discover a different side of Bogotá in this resilient…
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Moravia – Community-led Transformation | Medellín
Step into Moravia in Medellín, a neighborhood transformed through community action, resilience, and environmental innovation. Explore the former landfill of El Morro, meet the people behind its transformation, and learn how art, gardens, culture, and grassroots initiatives are helping reclaim territory and reshape Moravia’s story.
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Katanzama Indigenous Community | Arhuaco Culture Near Tayrona
Learn about Arhuaco culture at Katanzama near Tayrona National Park and explore the ancestral knowledge that shapes the community’s relationship with the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Meet community members, learn about their traditions, and gain a deeper understanding of why this sacred territory is known as the “Heart of the World.”
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Afro-Colombian Heritage | San Basilio de Palenque
Experience the living heritage of San Basilio de Palenque, the first free African town in the Americas. Learn about its history of resistance and resilience while exploring Palenquero, traditional music, dance, food, and storytelling. A visit offers a meaningful insight into Afro-Colombian culture and heritage just outside Cartagena.
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DAMARTES Coconut Workshop | La Boquilla, Cartagena
Take part in the DAMARTES Coconut Workshop in La Boquilla and meet a collective of local women who have turned traditional crafts into a source of income and independence. Create your own coconut souvenir, learn about their techniques, and support women artisans while contributing to the local economy.
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Artisanal Fishing on the Don Diego River | Tayrona Region
Explore the Don Diego River in the Tayrona region through a hands-on artisanal fishing experience. Travel by boat from Taironaka through lush rainforest, learn traditional fishing techniques from local fishermen, and enjoy a freshly prepared Caribbean lunch featuring the day’s catch.
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Nueva Venecia Palafito Village | Ciénaga Grande
Explore the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta and visit Nueva Venecia, a traditional palafito village built on the water. Cruise through mangroves, observe local wildlife, and learn about the fishing traditions and water-based lifestyle that have shaped these communities for generations. A unique cultural and nature experience between Santa Marta and Cartagena.
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Tobacco Tradition | Barichara, Santander
Learn about the tobacco tradition of Santander at Finca Mirabel, a family-run farm near Barichara. Walk through the tobacco fields, visit traditional drying houses, and see how local artisans hand-roll cigars. Along the way, learn about the region’s agricultural heritage and the knowledge passed down through generations of rural families.
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Handicraft Adventure | Ráquira, Boyacá
Explore the colorful artisan town of Ráquira, Boyacá, known for its long tradition of pottery and ceramics. Visit local workshops, meet artisans, and see how they shape clay using techniques passed down through generations. From pottery and textiles to baskets and woodwork, your visit supports family-run businesses and helps preserve Boyacá’s living craft traditions.
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Traditional Gastronomy | Villa de Leyva, Boyacá
Join a local family in the countryside of Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, for a hands-on cooking workshop centered around traditional envueltos. Learn how to prepare this corn-based specialty using family recipes and traditional techniques, while gaining insight into the role of food, women, and shared meals in preserving Boyacá’s culinary heritage.
Community-Based Tourism
Nasa & Yanacona Communities | Cauca & Huila
We work with Nasa and Yanacona communities in southern Colombia to promote community-based tourism that puts local people at the centre of the experience. Community members share their culture, ancestral knowledge, traditions, food, crafts, and connection to the territory with visitors.
The initiative creates opportunities for local guides, family-run accommodation, farmers, artisans, and cultural groups, helping tourism income reach the community while supporting the transmission of cultural knowledge to future generations.
As part of a ProColombia initiative to promote community-based tourism, the Yanacona community’s tourism experience was selected for inclusion on the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map. This gives the community greater visibility within the international travel industry and connects its locally led experience with travellers seeking more meaningful ways to explore Colombia.
Our role: We promote these community-based experiences through our travel programs and help connect international travellers with locally led tourism initiatives.
Responsible Tourism in Colombia
We are proud to be founding members of the Colombian Association of Responsible Tourism (ACOTUR). Through this network, we collaborate with tourism businesses and organisations working to strengthen responsible and sustainable tourism across Colombia.
ACOTUR promotes better practices throughout the tourism sector, from environmental responsibility and community development to the protection of Colombia’s cultural and natural heritage. Being part of this network allows us to learn, collaborate, and contribute to the continued development of responsible tourism in the country.
Together, ACOTUR members have contributed to initiatives that have created more than 1,200 jobs and benefited over 4,500 families.
Our Sustainable Business Practices
Sustainability also starts with the way we work every day. As part of our commitment to transparency and high standards, our company has been TourCert certified since 2017. We continuously look for practical ways to reduce our environmental footprint and encourage responsible practices within our company and supply chain.
In our daily operations, we:
- Use resources responsibly by reducing unnecessary water and energy consumption.
- Reduce paper and waste through digital communication, documentation, and recycling.
- Choose responsible partners and consider environmental and social practices when selecting suppliers.
- Strengthen our team’s knowledge through continuous training and awareness of sustainability issues.
- Work with trusted local partners who meet our standards for quality, safety, and responsible tourism.
- Review and improve our practices as we learn more about sustainable tourism and its challenges.
Respecting People, Nature & Culture
Protecting Children & Adolescents
We have zero tolerance for the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. We comply with Colombian legislation and support the protection of children throughout the tourism value chain.
Relevant legislation: Laws 679 of 2001 and 1336 of 2009.
Protecting Wildlife
We do not support the illegal trafficking or trade of wildlife. We encourage responsible encounters with flora and fauna and promote respect for Colombia’s biodiversity.
Relevant legislation: Law 17 of 1981
Respecting Cultural Heritage
We respect Colombia’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. We work with local communities to present their traditions, knowledge, and cultural expressions respectfully and in a way that recognises their role as custodians of their heritage.
Relevant legislation: Laws 103 of 1991, 397 of 1997, and 1185 of 2008.
Promoting Equality and Non-Discrimination
We reject racism, discrimination, and any form of exclusion based on ethnic or cultural identity. We respect the rights, dignity, and diversity of the people and communities we work with.
Relevant legislation: Laws 1482 of 2011 and 1752 of 2015.
Travelling Responsibly Together
Sustainable tourism is a shared responsibility. The choices we make before, during, and after a journey can influence the people, communities, and places we visit.
- Supporting local businesses by choosing locally owned accommodation, restaurants, guides, and products whenever possible.
- Respecting local cultures by following community guidelines, asking before taking photographs, and approaching cultural traditions with openness and respect.
- Protecting nature by staying on designated trails, avoiding single-use plastics, never purchasing products made from protected wildlife, and leaving natural areas as you found them.
- Valuing local knowledge by listening to community members and learning from local guides.
- Travelling thoughtfully by using resources responsibly and choosing lower-impact options where possible.
When we travel with respect and curiosity, tourism can become a force for positive change. Together, we can help protect Colombia’s biodiversity, strengthen local communities, and keep its diverse cultural heritage alive for generations to come.
