PART: 3 

This blog post is the third in a series meant to answer questions about the term sustainable tourism. ‘Sustainable’ is a word that gets tossed around a lot these days, sometimes just to entice conscientious consumers, whether or not the product or experience is truly sustainable. We wanted to clarify what it means to us. 

In the first blog post, we described the differences in impact between unsustainable and sustainable tourism. In the second, we laid out how we perpetuate economic, cultural, and environmental sustainability. And, in this final post, we will delve into our other ethical practices. They are less easily categorized, but no less indispensable components of our sustainability. 

How we are different: Ethical practices in Awamaki’s sustainable tourism program 

The fundamentals of sustainable tourism can be summed up as economic, cultural, and environmental, but there are other essential ethical practices that underscore Awamaki’s work. Promoting our artisan partner’s sense of autonomy is at the heart of our sustainable mission–working towards a world where they have the knowledge and confidence to self-advocate, the skills to form business relationships, and the understanding of global marketplaces to produce high-demand goods. We believe this empowerment begins with respect and communication. 

Our tours have guidelines in place meant to protect the privacy of our artisan partners. Sensitive photography is a big part of respectful cultural tourism. Photos are a crucial part of travel! However, many of our artisan partners are wary of having their pictures taken. With their beautiful traditional dress, they are often the target of pictures when they leave their community, with or without consent. Some of our artisan partners tell stories of having their photos taken by a photographer, then seeing their image for sale on a postcard in town–all without their consent. 

They are understandably wary of photography. When people take photos of them; with the snap of the camera, the individuals are stripped of their authority over their own image. It’s important that the artisans understand what it means to have their photo taken in the context of tourists visiting. Outside of the demonstrations, we request that tourists ask permission before taking photographs of our artisan partners. Although implied consent for photography may be the standard in our visitors' home countries, we remind visitors to not be swept up in the incredible beauty of a different place and forget to ask individuals for their consent.  Finally, we also ask that visitors do not take pictures of children.

Another part of our commitment to the artisans is respect for their time. When there are tours, our artisan partners receive advance notice. Years ago, tourism to the indigenous villages where we work was disorganized and chaotic. Without a tourist reception center, guides brought tourists to the village to wander the paths, even peeking into people’s homes to take pictures. Visits were not planned in advance, so when tourists arrived, women dropped everything they were doing–cooking, weaving, parenting–to run to meet the tourists in the hopes they would sell a weaving, but if they didn’t, there was no compensation for the time they took from their day. 

The economic benefit of tourism was uneven and unreliable. Women who lived close to the road also saw the greatest benefit, while those who lived further from town could almost never reach the visitors in time, resulting in highly uneven income distribution in communities that have always had a communitarian economy and ethic. In these ways, visitors disrupted and eroded key parts of village life. 

At Awamaki, we arrange tours in advance and let our partners know when we are coming. (This is part of why we have our 24-hour advance booking policy!) The women are paid for their time, regardless of whether they sell their work. Additionally, by request from the artisans, Awamaki also does not bring tourists to the communities on Sundays. This is a rest day, a family day, and for many, an important day for their faith.

Awamaki also supports the cooperatives in creating a tourism rotation so that all the cooperative members have an opportunity to participate in tourism. Without this conscious inclusion of outlying communities and distribution of tourists, the communities closer to Ollantaytambo have an easier time accessing tourists and the profits that come with. This creates a cycle of inequality where those collectives not only receive more tourism, but become exponentially better prepared for tourism, making them even more desirable for visitors. Awamaki addresses this inequity caused only by geographic location by ensuring our artisan partners who live further into the mountain range, and thereby further from the buying market, earn an equitable rate as those artisans closer with more access to tourism. We address this through hiring the artisans in more isolated locations to be the main producers of Awamaki products meant for resale, both online and in our store in Ollantaytambo.

This third and final blog post has reviewed the ethical practices Awamaki participates in to promote a sense of autonomy among our partners. With the logistics of our sustainability all laid out, we want to end this series with an explanation of what inspires us. 

Why we do what we do:

Our artisan partners are skilled weavers, spinners, and knitters who create spectacular works of art. Not only does each piece take significant time and labor, but building the skills to be capable of the craft also takes significant time and labor– a lifetime's worth, even. In a global market where high rates of production and low costs are the expectation, it takes work to preserve the economic feasibility of this slow, meaningful creation.

Awamaki believes tourists are a key component in keeping the crafts alive. We believe culturally significant art doesn’t have to be replaced by cheap, Andean-looking products created for tourists.We believe that there can be a mutually beneficial relationship between visitors and host communities founded on respect and appreciation. We know that in acting on our principles and goals, tourists have more meaningful experiences and more sincere connections with Peru. We know that through Awamaki’s commitment to sustainability, artisans and their families are able to earn an income while continuing to cultivate their cultural heritage and protecting their communities.