SEED - Destination Nature

OVERVIEW

The Destination Nature Activity conserves biodiversity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by supporting rural communities to make a living from sustainable nature tourism. Nature tourism is a productive activity that enables sustainable land use and encourages biodiversity conservation, and this activity works with communities to build sustainable business models for Colombia’s nature tourism sector.  Destination Nature does this by: 1) designing regenerative nature tourism experiences that contribute to ecosystem regeneration and biodiversity conservation; 2) integrating communities into the nature tourism market systems; 3) providing travelers with authentic experiences to generate demand for nature tourism; and 4) improving local governance and sustainable destination planning and management.  Destination Nature is implemented in six regions that have strong nature tourism potential and face significant environmental threats.  The regions are: 1) central and southern Pacific; 2) Putumayo; 3) Caquetá; 4) Meta and Guaviare; 5) Montes de María; and 6) Sierra Nevada and Serranía del Perijá.  The activity runs from November 2022 to November 2027.

GOALS

SUPPORT MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Destination Nature uses a demand-driven approach to build communities and local businesses’ capacities to provide high-quality and conservation-oriented nature tourism products and services. To this end, the activity: 1) strengthens the nature tourism supply chain; 2) facilitates access to finance and financial services by tourism service providers; 3) improves public and productive goods and services in targeted destinations; and 4) generates travel demand via digital marketing and purpose-driven storytelling.

DEVELOP TOURISM DESTINATIONS

Destination Nature partners with local and national governments to develop and implement legal and policy frameworks related to sustainable nature tourism, conservation, and climate change mitigation. The activity also strengthens institutional capacities to formulate strategic nature tourism development plans, management strategies, governance structures, and monitoring systems at targeted destinations. 

ANTICIPATED RESULTS 

• Leverage USD $20 million in public and private sector investment; 

• Increase economic benefits for 15,000 people through nature tourism;

• Improve management of 450,000 hectares (ha) of biologically significant areas;

• Improve biophysical conditions of 150,000 ha of biologically significant areas;

• Provide regenerative nature tourism and sustainable natural resources management training to 5,000 people; and

• Reduce, sequester, or avoid 6,000,000 metric tons of carbon emissions through sustainable landscape activities.