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Ethical commitment in Bolivia

One-off actions

In 2009, assistance and counselling to the Chipaya community (one of Bolivia’s oldest indigenous communities) as part of its opening up to tourism.

In 2005, co-funding of the first summit of South American mountain guides in La Paz.

Since 2005, micro-credits (with 0% interest rates) are granted to some of our suppliers who do not haves access to bank credit, when investment is for professional reasons. Total amount of the micro-credit programme : 10.000 USD per year.

In 2005, co-funding of lavatories in four sectors of the Cordillera Real.

In 2004 and 2005, co-funding of miscellaneous tourism and mountain use regimentation programmes, organised by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Swiss Contact (a Swiss NGO for technical cooperation).

In 2004, co-funding of the Huayna Potosí camp clean-up.

Since 2004, publishing of “carnets de Bolivie”, a photography book by Serge Vincenti: an amount of the proceeds was devoted to funding a carpentry workshop in Potosí’s prison.

Since 2004, expedition gear (ice boxes, crockery, jerricans…) to driver-guides how are tasked with setting of on expeditions using their own vehicles.

Since 2004, co-funding of French lessons for fifteen guides and 4x4 drivers.

Since 2003, organising and total funding of first aid classes for around forty guides and 4x4 drivers.

Since 2003, organisation and total funding of cooking classes for twenty driver-guides and trek cooks.

Since 2003, implementation, in collaboration with mulet rearing communities of the Cordillera Real of a rotation system: during the treks crossing the Cordillera Real, the itinerary is evenly divided into as many portions as there are communities. Each of them supply mules for the group’s journey across their sector, so that each community directly benefits from these treks.

The Tuni project, community based tourism in the Andes.

Tuni is a rural aymara village, isolated in the heart of the Cordillera Real.

As years went by, we have built strong links with the region’s population.

Between 2007 and 2009, we were involved in the elaboration and funding of a community based project with a threefold objective.

for the community, boosting economic activity and through fair redistribution of the proceeds from tourism, improving quality of life, in particular relative to health and education.
for visitors, the possibility to immerse themselves into Andean Aymara culture for authentic discoveries.
For all, the opportunity for meetings and exchange.

First step of the project, building accommodation for hosting visitors while respecting traditions of Andine Aymara habitat.

Second step, implementing activities aimed to presenting and sharing local lifestyle: hikes, cooking and weaving work shops, involvement in agricultural work (lama rearing, potato and quinoa cultivation), introduction to myths, discovery of medicinal herbs.

The project, now entirely managed by the community, has been functional since 2010.

Click here for a detailed presentation of the Tuni project

Permanent actions

Minimum wage only exists in Bolivia since 2010.
In the tourism industry, salaries are often under-evaluated.
Wages offered by Terra Andina Bolivia (for teams on the field as well as in offices) are systematically higher than the minimum wage and those paid by the majority of Bolivian travel agencies (15 to 30%).

This practice is not the norm in Bolivia but we consider the full payment without delay of our supplying partners as our first obligation.

Office teams can enjoy five weeks of paid leave (Bolivian law only guarantees two or three per year, depending on the worker’s seniority).

Preferences in supplier choices: we favour collaboration with companies that have been certified as “fair tourism” (Chalalan lodge and Mapajo lodge in Amazonia).