Tourism with a T for Territory: a new collective journey between Latin America and Europe

What if tourism could help regenerate territories instead of depleting them?

With the purpose of bringing this idea to life, “Tourism with a T for Territory” was born—an international initiative that embraces the transformative power of tourism when it is built from the local level, with identity, and through connections among cultures, people, and landscapes.

Driven by Diversity&Development, Nature Punk, and the Biocultural Diversity and Territories Platform, and with the participation of other organizations such as the Patronato por la Cocina del Callao, the Ministry of Culture of Peru, the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Callao, the Bolivian organization Prometa, the Red Polinizar Comunidades Agroturísticas, and the broad network of organizations from the Southern Coast of Santa Catarina — Organização da X Celebração de Boas-vindas às Baleias in Brazil, among others.

This new proposal seeks to open a space for dialogue and exchange on how tourism can truly become a driver for valuing musical, food, and biocultural heritage, based on inspiring experiences that are flourishing in territories across Latin America and Europe.

Why was this initiative created?

Because we believe that another way of doing tourism is not only possible but urgent. A kind of tourism that is not imposed from the outside but rather emerges from within—recognizing local knowledge, fostering collaborative processes, and promoting cultural, economic, and ecological sustainability.

We connect those who are already practicing Tourism with a T for Territory: communities, collectives, women and men producers, fishers, traditional cooks, artisans, local musicians, artists, instrument makers, cultural managers, local teachers, professors, and researchers, among others. All of them are protagonists in experiences where tourism serves to strengthen identities, defend the commons, and open horizons for the future.

In particular, we want to help strengthen the interconnection between the knowledge and practices of older generations and youth—not only as a “natural” transmission of knowledge but as a process of revitalization for both.

What does it involve?

• Virtual and in-person gatherings in 2025, where the Voices of the Territory will share their experiences, achievements, and challenges.

• Narratives from the ground up, with a territorial, inclusive, and identity-based perspective, in 100% collaborative processes.

• Concrete dissemination products: articles, videos, postcards, concept notes, and collective publications.

• A living agenda that weaves together learnings, makes existing experiences visible, and strengthens our bonds between diverse territories connected by the same dreams.

Launch and first steps: where are we now?

The initiative is already underway with several actions in progress:

• The Juntanza crowdfunding campaign, which seeks to ensure the sustainability of collaborative actions and editorial/audiovisual work with territorial actors.

–        An international Dialogue Circle (Roda de Diálogo) in Brazil, in August 2025, as part of the beautiful Celebration of the Southern Right Whales in Garopaba (Southern Coast of Santa Catarina). There, we shared experiences and voices from Latin America and Europe. A first concrete action of the Tourism with a T for Territory initiative unfolded through Community-Based Tourism, highlighting the pathways traced by the knowledge and life experiences of those who know how to make it possible authentically and sustainably. Voices such as Andrés Ugaz, Josué Abad, Ana Paula Machado, Joaquim S. Fermino, Leonardo de Souza, and Simona Signorile, accompanied by Rodrigo G. Pingaro and Joao H. Qoos, under the moderation of Telma Amorin and Claudia Ranaboldo, showed us that tourism can be a practice of encounter, memory, and shared futures.

These fishers, local guides, artisans, farmers, and small entrepreneurs remind us that territories do not need disguises to attract; that there are limits of space and time that cannot be defined from the outside under purely economic logics. Their message is clear: it is not about constructing external narratives to appeal to the market, but about recognizing the profound value of local knowledge. That knowledge is capable of linking ecosystem conservation with a form of tourism that fosters intergenerational dialogue—going beyond a simple transfer from elders to youth.

Among the lessons shared, the importance of capacity building stood out, as demonstrated by the experiences of Sinergia Brasil–Italia and Entre Dos Aguas. In this process, the role of institutions like the IFSC (Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina) is key: for its territorial rootedness, for building bridges between innovation and diverse knowledge, and for its differentiated and accredited training programs, which provide solidity and future to this form of tourism.

On Juntanza blog, articles are already circulating that express this collective spirit, with testimonies from fishers, cooks, and community managers from southern Italy, Peru, and Mexico.

Here you can explore some examples:

– Entre Dos Aguas

– Sinergia Brasil–Italia

– Meeting México–Italia

What’s next…

We are just beginning this collective journey. Very soon we will share more information about upcoming gatherings, publications, and ways for people to participate from their territories, professions, and passions.

Because when tourism is rooted in history and affection, it becomes an act of resilience, celebration, and a shared future.