Why go on a Tour?

We call them Community Empowerment Tours because the communities that you visit are empowered: they have overcome tremendous odds to rebuild their lives and create a lasting peace after war, exile, gang violence, flooding and hurricanes laid waste to their homes and communities. We can learn a lot from them about collaboration and resilience in the face of adversity.

We are inviting you to be empowered too: participate in their success, learn from their work, and take that energy into your own community. Most of all, we hope that the experience of a Community Empowerment Tour will bring our communities closer together and develop a true sense of solidarity that you will take with you into your everyday life.

By joining a Community Empowerment Tour, you are helping support the local economy and protect the beautiful Bay of Jiquilisco Biosphere Reserve for future generations. This fragile ecosystem is currently threatened by developers who want to build luxury resorts locally, a process that would destroy mangrove forests and leave little benefit for local communities. These developers are trying to convince the Salvadoran Ministry of Tourism to support their business model. Your presence helps local communities demonstrate to the Ministry that there is another, more sustainable way to attract tourism revenue, protect the Biosphere Reserve and reduce poverty.

See our Tour FAQs for more information about the tours program.