Il turismo mi ha cambiato la vita

[:en]
In an article published by AMU in September 2015, Francesco Tortorella explains how a certain type of tourism can change the life of travellers and that of their hosts. Read the article here.

A new project to develop community tourism in indigenous areas of Argentina has started: an opportunity to improve the living conditions of communities on the edge of survival.

Every trip that I went on changed my life, I have learned new things, I discovered different ways of living, and I admired the wonders of nature. Above all, I have met people who have made me a better person.

From my point of view as a traveller, every trip is a heritage that I take back home in my suitcase and in my soul and that from there onwards it changes my life.

But my journey can also change the lives of the people that I meet and that welcomes me, if it gives them the opportunity to have a better job and a decent income, and to put in good use their talents.

“I come from a poor family, but handicrafts and tourism have given me what I dreamed,” says Primitivo, married to Mercedes, with whom he has five beautiful children: Emanuel, Eber, Ivan, Leonels and Alvaro.

They live in one of the indigenous communities in the North West of Argentina, pre-Andes area, rich in pre-Columbian cultures, poor in livelihoods.

In some places there is not even access to drinking water, the houses – often just one single room – are made of mud and seem to give way at any moment. The future for the children is in breeding llamas or sheep. Their life and their economic and social implications remain on the outskirts of the current economic system.

“Thank God, having learnt this job that I like, I was able to help my brothers to study at university. And now I want to help my children equally. “Primitivo was one of the first to participate in the program of community tourism development of the Episcopal Conference Argentina. Now he shows how much the tourism has changed the lives of his family.

With the participation of AMU and the businesses of the Economy of Communion, the program is now expanded to allow 83 families in five different indigenous communities to offer quality tourist accommodation in their homes to guests who want to share their daily life and admire the stunning landscape of the area. By doing this they will significantly increase their family income, complementary to those of farming and craftsmanship, guaranteeing a decent life to about 600 people.

But most importantly, it will be a great opportunity to build new relationships of communion between host families and travellers, bringing together different worlds and cultures, approaching centres and suburbs, enriching humanity with bonds and connections.

For the next three years we will adjust the infrastructure and complete the furnishing and equipment, we will train families and formalize the microenterprises; we will take care of the marketing and commercialization section. And who knows, maybe one day we will travel together with you and meet these wonderful families!

Contribution from AIPEC companies members and other EOC businesses: € 55,846.90[:it]

È iniziato un nuovo progetto per sviluppare il turismo comunitario nelle aree indigene dell’Argentina: un’opportunità per migliorare le condizioni di vita di comunità al margine.

In un articolo pubblicato dall’AMU a settembre 2015, Francesco Tortorella spiega come un certo tipo di turismo possa cambiare la vita dei viaggiatori e di chi li ospita. Leggi l’articolo a questo link >>>[:]