Colombia is consolidating its position as a benchmark country in Indigenous tourism, according to the conclusions of the First Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Tourism Summit, an event recently held in Popayan, the capital of the department of Cauca.
In this city in southern Colombia, representatives from more than 18 countries — including Indigenous leaders, academics, government officials, and international organizations — gathered to share experiences, knowledge, and proposals to strengthen tourism based on identity, sustainability, and respect for cultural diversity.
The summit emphasized that Indigenous tourism transcends its economic dimension to become a living practice of culture, spirituality, and regeneration. Throughout the sessions, participants highlighted the role of Indigenous peoples as protagonists in experiences that promote respect for nature and collective memory, guiding the region toward a more human, sustainable, and identity-driven tourism model.
Colombia strengthens its role as a Latin American leader in Indigenous tourism
During the meeting, participants agreed that supporting Indigenous tourism means “betting on a paradigm that places dignity, sustainability, and respect for nature at its center, contributing to the construction of fairer and more balanced societies.”
In this context, Colombia was recognized as a leading country in promoting such initiatives, thanks to a sectoral plan from the Ministry of Tourism called Tourism in Harmony with Life, which has integrated the voices of communities and facilitated coordinated work that has led to concrete achievements.
John Ramos, director of Tourism Quality and Sustainable Development at the Ministry, stated during his remarks that tourism should be conceived as an activity with purpose, “aimed at ensuring harmony and the good living of all forms of life that inhabit and visit Indigenous territories in Latin America.”
According to Ramos, one of the most important achievements has been intercultural dialogue with the Permanent Consultation Board, recently created by the Colombian government to jointly develop a participatory public policy on Indigenous tourism, which is currently under development.
This process, said Ramos, “represents a transcendental step toward recognizing the autonomy, customs, and traditions of Indigenous peoples, and positions Indigenous tourism as a national priority within the sustainable development agenda.”
Actions that strengthen Indigenous tourism
Colombia is a country rich in pre-Columbian cultures, which converge in its vast ethnic and cultural diversity. Aware of this wealth, the country decided to highlight it and share it with visitors, especially international ones.
With this clear premise, the National Tourism Fund (Fontur) announced its support for the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Tourism Summit, “convinced that tourism is a powerful tool to strengthen cultural roots, promote inclusion, and build development from the territories.”
According to the agency’s officials, “this meeting is much more than a summit; it is proof that when peoples unite, they speak with one voice. A voice that comes from the land, from the heart, and from the transformative power of culture,” said Felix Gonzalo Ojeda, general manager of Fontur.
Through the Ministry of Tourism, efforts have been made to strengthen human talent across the tourism value chain and build capacity in local territories. Thus, in 2023, the Intercultural Itinerant School of Indigenous Tourism was created in the Tacueyo reservation (Cauca) with support from the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA). This training space has already educated more than 100 Indigenous leaders in governance, tourism management, and biocultural heritage preservation.
Colombia is also advancing in the creation of tourism products with their own identity. Projects such as Ancestral Thermal Springs, developed across eight departments, and 40 Experiences of Ancestral Practices in Wellness Tourism have helped integrate ancestral knowledge into contemporary tourism dynamics.
According to government statements, it is precisely in regions with a strong Indigenous presence — such as Cauca, Nariño, Putumayo, Amazonas, and Guainia — where Indigenous communities themselves “lead sustainable tourism experiences that restore the spiritual bond with the territory and strengthen local economies through traditional knowledge.”
Indigenous heritage: A living legacy of diversity and connection with nature
Colombia is a country where the past and present coexist through its Indigenous peoples. With 115 officially recognized Indigenous communities, the nation is one of the most diverse in Latin America, both in languages and worldviews. From the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the Amazon, these cultures maintain an ancestral relationship with the land, expressed through sustainable practices, medicinal knowledge, and deep spirituality tied to nature.
The Arhuaco, Wayuu, Nasa, Embera, Tikuna, and Misak peoples, among many others, have preserved traditions that take on renewed value amid today’s environmental challenges. Their understanding of water cycles, agriculture, and the balance between humans and nature offers an alternative to exploitative development models. In communities such as those of the Sierra Nevada, the idea of the “elder brother” — the human being as guardian of the planet — summarizes a philosophy that invites a rethinking of modern relationships with the environment.
Furthermore, Indigenous heritage permeates national identity — in gastronomy, art, festivals, and the names of regions and rivers. In recent years, the Colombian state and various social movements have promoted policies to protect native languages and recognize ancestral territories, though challenges remain.
More than a vestige of the past, Colombia’s Indigenous heritage is a living force that nourishes the country’s cultural diversity and reminds us that harmony with nature is not a utopia, but a way of life that has endured for centuries.
Interculturality, sustainability, and well-being: The pillars of Indigenous tourism
The Popayan summit also underscored Colombia’s role as a connector of regional networks and alliances. In collaboration with entities from other countries, such as Mexico’s Indigenous Tourism Network (RITA), Colombia is promoting the creation of the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Tourism Network, a platform that “will make it possible to coordinate joint actions, share knowledge, and strengthen cooperation among sister peoples.”
The closing of this first Indigenous tourism summit was marked by the presentation of the Declaration of Indigenous Tourism of Latin America and the Caribbean, a document outlining the commitments of participating countries and defining the principles for consolidating a regional Indigenous tourism model based on interculturality, sustainability, and well-being.
This declaration is envisioned as a guiding instrument to promote comprehensive policies and generate synergies that encourage the effective participation of communities in tourism management within their territories.