Andean women turn their culture and traditions into employment through rural ecotourism
- From listening to prototyping: co-creating with Andean communities
- Quality employment versus structural violence
- Four tourist routes that connect tradition and innovation
- A community initiative that cares for its ecosystem
- ATIPTALLA, winners of the 2025 Indigenous Tourism Challenge
The Inkac Purinan Tawantin Llaqta Tourism Association (ATIPTALLA), led by women from the Andean region of Peru, is turning its cultural heritage into decent employment and opportunities for the future. Created under the auspices of the ”la Caixa” Foundation's Work4Progress programme and with the support of CODESPA Peru, this rural community tourism initiative was recognised in 2025 as the winner of the Indigenous Tourism Challenge, organised by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) and UN Tourism.
Work4Progress is a programme run by the ”la Caixa” Foundation that seeks to generate quality employment for women and young people in India, Mozambique, Peru and Colombia. Its model, based on social innovation, is based on a clear premise: to create suitable jobs in vulnerable contexts, it is not enough to design solutions from outside; it is essential to understand the local reality and build alternatives together with those who live there. Only in this way can sustainable projects with a real long-term impact be achieved.
The methodology is articulated through collaborative platforms in which organisations, communities and experts work in a coordinated manner. In these spaces, needs and opportunities are identified, proposals are co-created and their viability is validated through prototypes. The ultimate goal: to improve the lives of people in areas where opportunities are scarce.
In this context, knowledge of the terrain becomes key. And social entities such as CODESPA Peru are the link that connects the global strategy with the daily reality of the communities. Their work consists of accompanying the processes, turning ideas into results and ensuring that the proposals become real drivers of systemic change.
From listening to prototyping: co-creating with Andean communities
ATIPTALLA, with its proposal for rural community ecotourism, is the result of this process: a project that began as a pilot and is now consolidated as a solid, recognised initiative with prospects for growth. It shows that, in order to promote real change in rural areas through employment, listening to and involving the local population from the outset is not a methodological luxury, but an essential condition.
Judith Ljubica Jiménez Serrano, technical coordinator of CODESPA Peru, recalls that ATIPTALLA's journey began in 2021 ‘with the aim of adding value and making use of the resources available’. Based on a shared diagnosis, a great opportunity was identified for ‘tourism that seeks to experience the communities themselves’, since ‘the tourism that had existed in the area until then was traditional’.
The opportunity was passed on to the families, who organised themselves to turn it into employment. ‘Initially, 33 families from four different communities decided to join forces to work in community-based rural tourism,’ explains Jiménez Serrano. This is how ATIPTALLA began to take shape in the communities of Pinchimuro, Marampaqui, Rodeana and Upis, in the district of Ocongate, province of Quispicanchi, in the region of Cuzco.
Quality employment versus structural violence
The collaborative process not only highlighted the potential for tourism, but also brought to light a structural problem: violence against women. According to the technical coordinator of CODESPA Peru, ‘many cases of violence’ linked to deep inequalities between men and women in access to education ‘in Peru in general, but even more so in rural areas’ were detected in Ocongate.
Jiménez Serrano explains that Andean women ‘do not usually have paid work, cannot access decent employment and are therefore more vulnerable to different types of violence’. In this context, the creation of quality employment — in line with the principles of Work4Progress — also becomes a tool for preventing and responding to such violence.
Through ATIPTALLA, women not only earn an income, but also gain autonomy. ‘Women become empowered because they are being trained,’ summarises Jiménez Serrano. Today, ‘they can contribute to the family, they have a voice in decision-making because they help their husbands and children financially, and as a result they are more independent, their self-confidence grows and the issue of violence is also reduced.’
Marleny Condori, president of ATIPTALLA, sums up the before and after: ‘Before, we had no way of earning an income for our families, [...] we had no access to education, but now we do, thanks to this venture by the ATIPTALLA association.’
Four tourist routes that connect tradition and innovation
The work of recent years has resulted in four tourist routes that combine local culture, ancestral knowledge and respect for the environment. The itineraries are based on CODESPA's RUTAS methodology, which promotes inclusive tourism in Latin America, and Work4Progress's social innovation model.
The first proposal is the Milk Route, where tourists participate in daily activities such as ‘milking cows, preparing dairy products such as cheese or manjar, and they can also enjoy a cheese board,’ describes Jiménez Serrano.
The Andean Textile Route invites visitors to learn about ‘the process of spinning and dyeing using natural plants,’ which is one of the most visible expressions of Andean culture.
The third proposal is the Trout Route, focused on artisanal fishing in a high-altitude lagoon and the preparation of ‘trout-based dishes.’
Finally, the Trekking Route runs along the slopes of Nevado Ausangate, the fifth highest mountain in Peru. There, ‘in addition to spectacular views, you can take part in other traditional activities, such as the Pago a la Tierra (Payment to the Earth),’ a ritual of gratitude to Mother Earth that connects tourism with indigenous worldviews.
A community initiative that cares for its ecosystem
Respect for the environment is not an add-on, but a cross-cutting theme of the project. Care for the environment is deeply rooted in the local population and is reflected in every activity designed for visitors. During the walks, ‘they take care of their natural environment,’ says Jiménez Serrano. They are aware that ‘you have to be careful with the plants, not to destroy them, and there are also specific reforestation activities.’
As for the waste generated by tourism, the slogan is clear: ‘Everything that is generated is also taken care of.’ This attitude, explains the coordinator, has its origins in a spiritual and daily relationship with ‘Pachamama, Mother Earth,’ which is ‘very deep’ because the communities always know ‘who provides us with resources.’ That is why ‘they take advantage of it, but they also use it responsibly.’
Regarding the future of ATIPTALLA, Jiménez Serrano insists that ‘the benefits will be evident in families, in the immediate environment.’ She points to a multiplier effect on ‘daughters, mothers, sisters,’ who now perceive tourism as an activity that complements their daily tasks. "They don't have to set aside tradition or neglect their families to provide services. They have seen that they can generate income and, of course, the expectation for the future is to continue growing."
ATIPTALLA, winners of the 2025 Indigenous Tourism Challenge
International recognition has come quickly. The community ecotourism prototype has been awarded, among 382 entries, the 2025 Indigenous Tourism Challenge by UN Tourism and CAF. For Marleny Condori, president of ATIPTALLA, the award marks a turning point: she feels ‘very proud’ and celebrates that this award will give them ‘publicity and also more visitors.’
The distinction ‘has been very motivating for the organisation,’ says Jiménez Serrano, who highlights the effort, resilience and determination of the Andean women. After the economic incentive, the importance of the award lies in the fact that ‘it is recognition being given to families, to women’. ATIPTALLA demonstrates that it is possible to generate ‘work for women who were previously relegated in their territory’.
The alliance between Work4Progress, CODESPA Peru and the Andean communities has thus crystallised into a tangible impact on the territory. ATIPTALLA has established itself as a model of inclusive rural development in which the community not only preserves its cultural heritage, but also turns it into a source of economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. Its experience now serves as a reference for women in rural communities around the world. In the words of its president, Marleny Condori: ‘We are women and yes, we can.’