Colombia—Destination Nature Activity (DNA)

Coinciding with the Peace Accords, Colombia’s international tourist arrivals surged by 85 percent in the mid-2010s as a new generation of travelers discovered the vibrant flora, remarkable fauna, and unique ecosystems of the world’s second most biodiverse country.

The Destination Nature Activity (DNA) is an innovative new program that embraces the emerging nature tourism industry as a central pillar for the Government of Colombia to achieve its environmental ambitions, while also meeting its social and economic commitments in the 2016 Peace Accord.

DNA addresses the root causes of environmental degradation and reduces major drivers of land use change that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions by using nature tourism as a tool for conservation, while supporting the livelihoods of rural citizens, who represent the growing conservation constituency for Colombia’s natural wealth.

Sample Activities

• Work with local destination management organizations to improve competitiveness of nature tourism experiences, generate market demand and local employment, and sustainably manage high conservation value natural assets.
• Improve collaborative governance between destination management organizations and environmental authorities to balance tourist traffic with sustainable carrying capacity of ecologically sensitive tourism destinations.
• Increase public and private investment in nature tourism to generate revenue dependent upon low emissions land use and protecting biodiversity for its suite of ecosystem services.