Stories: Adventures in Peru

Joaquin Randall’s is a sustainable tourism entrepreneur based in Ollantaytambo, near Machu Picchu, Peru. Peruvian born of American parents, Joaquin is one of the owners and manager of the most legendary hotel establishment in the Cusco Area: El Albergue Ollantaytambo , which was founded by his parents, Robert Randall and Wendy Weeks, in the nineteen seventies. This month we had the pleasure of hosting an online conversation with Joaquin, where we discussed his approach to making tourism more sustainable. Here are some of our reflections on what we discussed... The role of economic development "One of my sustainability objectives is economic development," states Joaquin. The Albergue de Wendy Weeks only has 15 rooms, but during the high season, it employs between 100 and 120 people, making it the second-largest employer in Ollantaytambo. Joaquin tells us that by employing local people, he wants to give them incomes, training, and skills so that "they can one day start their businesses". Spoken by a hotelier, these words might seem paradoxical, but on reflection, it is a reminder that people are also part of the natural world. Sustainable development cannot be untied from our economy. The importance of a diverse economy. "Many destinations in Peru are overdependent on tourism," Joaquin tells us. He highlights to us how his colleagues at El Albergue would have had no work during the pandemic, were he not been able to involve them in the companies secondary ventures.  Almost entirely in Ollantaytambo, El Albergue has developed an organic farm, craft distillery, coffee roastery, two coffee shops, and a restaurant - that do not rely entirely on tourism for trade. The takeaway from his remarks is that money from tourism in Peru needs to be re-invested in other sectors of the economy to secure and sustain local communities. Promoting local production and