Attachment J.9-USAID Colombia Nature Tourism Rapid Assessment Summary.pdf

DISCLAIMER This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Environmental Incentives, Foundations of Success, and ICF for the Measuring Impact II (MI2) Contract.

USAID COLOMBIA NATURE-BASED TOURISM RAPID

ASSESSMENT

December 30, 2019

RAPID ASSESSMENT PURPOSE

The purpose of the rapid assessment was to understand and summarize lessons learned from select USAID, Government of Colombia, and other donor investments in tourism in Colombia, including:

● Effectiveness and sustainability of investments

● Enabling conditions

● Barriers

The following questions were posed to guide the assessment:

● What conditions supported or hindered the effectiveness of USAID, investments in nature-based tourism in Colombia?

○ Were any enabling conditions supported as part of these investments?

DISCLAIMER This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Environmental Incentives, Foundations of Success, and ICF for the Measuring Impact II (MI2) Contract.

● Where/if information is available, what are the findings regarding the sustainability of USAID investments?

● What lessons can be learned on what has supported or hindered select GoC investments and donor investments?

● What gaps do these selected stakeholders see in supporting nature-based tourism and the necessary enabling conditions in Colombia? Where do they think USAID should be investing?

RAPID ASSESSMENT

METHODOLOGY

RAPID ASSESSMENT FINDINGS

OVERVIEW OF USAID ACTIVITIES RELATED TO TOURISM

The interventions in tourism supported by USAID largely differ in their approaches and reach. Most of the support has been channeled through sub-activities of less than one year, focused on providing specific supplies and training to organizations in certain skills needed for tourism and/or business management.

Yet, some activities have incorporated multi-prone approaches to develop destinations.

Most of the sub-activities build on existing community tourism initiatives, providing complementary investments. In addition, most of the beneficiary initiatives had complementary investments from other programs and/or received previous support from other donors or governments.

DISCLAIMER This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Environmental Incentives, Foundations of Success, and ICF for the Measuring Impact II (MI2) Contract.

Implementa tion period

Type of tourism

Population group Type of Support

Target of support Sites Site prioritization

Average duration subactivities

(months)

Paisaje de Conservación 2009-2013 Nature Afro, Indig, Rural

Awareness, Training, Minor

Infrastructure

Organization Katíos, Cocuy, Sierra Nevada, Utría

Political: agreements between National Parks and organizations

Unknown

Paisaje de Conservación Caribe 2013-2016 Nature Rural Planning, Marketing, Training, Supplies Route

Besotes, Perijá, Flamencos, Minca, Cuchilla De San Lorenzo, (Ces)

Valledupar, (Guj) Hato Nuevo, (Mag) Santa Marta, (Bol) El Carmen De

Bolivar, (Bol) San Juan Nepomuceno, (Guj) Riohacha

Technical: evaluation of conditions in route

Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Program

(ACIP)

2011-2016

Nature, Community, Cultural

Afro, Indig Awareness, Minor

Infrastructure Organization

Bahía Málaga, La Guajira, Santa Catalina, Barú [interview], (Val)

Buenaventura, (Guj) Albania, (San) Providencia y Santa Catalina

Social: all who had tourism in their community development plans

Reintegration and Prevention of

Recruitment Activity (RPR) 2015-2018

Agro, Community Youth Planning, Training

Organization

Destination (Val) La Union, (Val) Roldanillo, (Val) Toro, (Bol) Cartagena, (Put) Orito Undefined 4

Inclusion for Peace Activity (IPA) 2016-2020 Nature, Cultural Afro, Indig Marketing, Training Individual (Bol) Cartagena, (Val) Cali, (Val) Buenaventura, (Guj) Riohacha Undefined 9

Programa de Alianzas para la Reconciliación

(PAR)

2016-2020 Nature, Peace Rural, Urban

Planning, Marketing, Training Organization

Destination

(Ara) Arauca, (Ant) Turbo, (Met) Vistahermosa, (Caq) Florencia, (Bol)

Cartagena, (Nor) Cucuta, (Ant) San Carlos, (Ara) Arauca, (Mag)

Cienaga, (Ant) Medellin, (Mag) Santa Marta

Undefined 13

Conservation and Governance 2013-2020 Agro Rural Potential identified Route (Caq) Morelia, El Doncello, Florencia N.A. N.A.

Community Development and Licit

Opportunities (CDLO) 2017-2022 Nature Rural

Training, Formalization, Supplies

Organization

Destination

(Caq) Belen De Los Andaquies, (Caq) San Jose Del Fragua, (Caq) La

Montañita, (Caq) Milan, (Caq) Solano, (Guv) El Retorno, (Guv)

Miraflores, (Guv) San Jose Del Guaviare, (Put) Orito, (Put) Puerto Asis, (Put) Puerto Caicedo, (Put) Puerto Guzman, (Put) Puerto Leguizamo, (Put) San Miguel (La Dorada), (Put) Valle Del Guamuez (La Hormiga), (Put) Villagarzon, (Cau) El Tambo, (Cau) Guapi, (Cau) Lopez De

Micay, (Cau) Timbiqui, (Nar) Tumaco, (Met) La Macarena, (Met)

Vistahermosa

Technical diagnosis of sites 15

Natural Wealth 2017-2024 Nature, Cultural Rural Marketing, Training

Organization

Destination

(Ara) Arauca, (Ara) Cravo Norte, (Cas) Aguazul, (Cas) Hato Corozal, (Cas) Mani, (Cas) Orocue, (Cas) Paz De Ariporo, (Cas) Pore, (Cas)

San Luis De Palenque, (Cas) Tauramena, (Cas) Trinidad, (Cas)

Villanueva, (Cas) Yopal, (Suc) Chalan, (Suc) Coloso, (Suc) Toluviejo, (Bol) San Juan Nepomuceno, (Cas) Yopal, (Suc) Chalan, (Suc) Coloso, (Suc) Toluviejo, (Bol) San Jacinto, (Ces) Valledupar

National or private protected areas

Páramos y Bosques 2018-2023 Nature Afro, Indig, Rural

Awareness, Planning, Marketing, Training, Formalization, Supplies, Minor

Infrastructure

Organization (Cau) Puracé, (Val) Bahía Málaga, (Val) El Cerrito REDD potential, tourism potential

DISCLAIMER This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Environmental Incentives, Foundations of Success, and ICF for the Measuring Impact II (MI2) Contract.

ENABLING CONDITIONS

Enabling conditions were considered required for a project to be feasible and its objectives to be attainable under the kind of support provided during its implementation. These may be conditions that the project cannot change or that would be very hard to change,but are key to advance the project’s objectives. Conditions in dark blue are those that were most frequently stated.

While the creation or strengthening of enabling conditions were not supported by USAID activities, they were used to select intervention sites. The analysis done to identify enabling conditions may serve as a diagnosis of gaps in organizations and destinations.

FACTORS FOR SUCCESS & SUSTAINABILITY HINDERING FACTORS

● Planning and carrying capacity

● Selection of target market

● Trust between community members and with implementing partners

● Destinations and routes that connect to towns

● Adequate community support

● Participation and coordination with the private sector, local government, and donors

● Market Saturation

● Mix of community capacity

● Dependency on donors

● Desertion (Long term effort, with late revenue)

● Large investments needed for enabling conditions

● Lack of government support

DISCLAIMER This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Environmental Incentives, Foundations of Success, and ICF for the Measuring Impact II (MI2) Contract.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the assessment findings, the major recommendations for a future nature-based tourism activity include: