Today we want to tell you the story of how and why Rutopía won the “Promise of Tourism 2022” award, and what this award means to us.
Promise of Tourism, seeks to continuously promote the participation of young entrepreneurs who create solutions to improve the quality and growth of tourism in the country. An award organized by “Expansion” in alliance with the National Tourism Business Council (CNET), the Association of Entrepreneurs of Mexico (ASEM) and Endeavor. During several weeks of waiting and uncertainty, we did not know what the result would be, but we continued working with the same effort towards our travelers.
This was achieved by receiving so much encouraging feedback from the industry, which not only recognized our work, but also shared and identified with our mission.
“We are a social enterprise that allows travelers, who are in search of authentic experiences off the beaten path, to access rural communities and live experiences alongside hosts willing to share the natural paradises of their land and the ins and outs of their culture”. – Emiliano Iturriaga CEO of Rutopía.
Finalists
The day came to announce the finalists of the award and we were informed that we were in the final stretch. The surprise was that we were not only finalists, but we were also one of the three most voted projects. Rutopía had stood out among the jury members for focusing its efforts on the conservation of Mexico’s culture and nature through tourism.
Winners of Tourism Promise 2022
On September 1, 2022, the magazine “Expansion” was published, where the winners were announced. When we opened the magazine and saw their social networks, there we were, Rutopía as the winners of the Promise of Tourism 2022. And we were even prouder to share the podium with two incredible projects Eco Hotels & Resorts, a project led by Maria Olazabal, CEO and founder, who won second place for promoting sustainable tourism among travelers through a booking platform that avoids greenwashing, in addition to supporting accommodations with the implementation of 12 sustainable practices. And in third place was recognized Alex De Santos, CEO and founder of homiefoo, the Social Marketplace of high-impact travel that seeks to promote fair and sustainable tourism to local communities in Mexico and the world, allowing 100% of the economic resources generated by local tourism to directly benefit the destination and its population. A very well-deserved award, which was undoubtedly a pleasure for us to share with such talented people and projects.
For us it is a pleasure to receive this recognition, a sign that we are going in the right direction. Today we see the urgency for change from the root and know that we are contributing and generating a positive impact towards the sustainability of tourism. This, as a team, makes us want to strive even harder and work with greater commitment and responsibility towards the tourism sector, nature and communities. The market is ready to take the leap and adopt a more critical view of its desires and actions. Proof of this are the three winning projects that share not only the desire to make a change, but also share the basic pillars that drive us and are our driving force.
“We are proud to recognize the enthusiasm of young people who undertake projects that help energize the growth of the tourism industry, while contributing to the development of the society in which they interact.” – Braulio Arsuaga, president of CNET’s Executive Committee.
Who are part of the “Promise of Tourism 2022” achievement?
The award besides thanking all those who voted for us, carries a dedication to those people who brought Rutopia to be what it is today:
The local hosts, those hands that transmit their experience, their knowledge to travelers. To the hands that create art, to the hands that keep the heritage of their ancestors, to the hands that cook and delight the palates with flavors that exalt the ingredients that the land gives, to the hands that guard and protect the natural ecosystems of the country. To all of them, thank you for giving us the opportunity to showcase your work and efforts. This includes more than 400 community projects throughout Mexico.
To each and every one who has been part of the Rutopiana family, to our team of specialists, reservations, operations, administration, communication and volunteers. To those who proudly wear the Rutopia shirt and are ambassadors of what it means to want to make a change in the tourism industry.
To you, the traveler, who commits every day to go out of the ordinary, to look for those little explored routes, to connect those dreams and desires with authentic experiences, depositing in us your desire to know a different Mexico, to discover and rediscover.
Finally we want to say THANK YOU! once again to all those who have accompanied us on this professional journey. To those who over the course of five years have believed in what we are and have given us their guidance, experience or advice to continue improving and growing day by day.
We feel an indescribable joy, since this award represents several years of intense work and is the impetus to continue fulfilling our mission.
As Marisol Herrera (COO of Rutopía) says “Rutopía was born out of a deep need to preserve Mexico’s natural wealth and maintain the cultural value of the more than 60 indigenous peoples that inhabit the country”.
Thank you!
