TIDE Tours - Overview

TIDE was founded in 1997 by W. Maheia, a local Toledan, in response to urgent conservation needs. TIDE has launched various initiatives including the education of the local population in conservation issues and the management of protected areas. In 1999 “TIDE Tours ”, a not-for-profit subsidiary, was established to promote ecotourism in the Toledo district. “TIDE has looked to ecotourism as a viable and alternative source of income for the hunters and fishermen of Toledo who were once engaged in resource extractive practices” [TIDETours website: www.tidetours.org]. It provides training to local residents to enable their participation in the ecotourism industry and “coordinates a variety of land and sea activities in the Toledo district for tourists by recommending and directing them to independent local guides” [www.tidetours.org]. Twenty different local guides are utilized by TIDE and they too operate on a rotation system whenever possible. Various ecotours are provided such as trekking tours, snorkelling, fly-fishing and kayaking. TIDE has also won international awards – the 2002 UNDP Equator Prize “in recognition of outstanding community efforts for poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation”, which was presented at the 2002 Johannesburg Summit for Sustainable Development and the 2000 award for “Ecotourism excellence”, presented at the Non-profits in Travel Conference held in Washington DC.

Sustainable development based ecotourism and adventure tours in Ecuador at Piedra Blanca