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07/07/2010 - "Chocolate Tour" is growing fast!
From January 2010 onwards already 859 visitors have enjoyed the Chocolate Tour in the Dominican Republic. In 2009 the Fairtrade cacao farmers received 682 visitors over the whole year.
The Chocolate Tour is the first tourism product that has been developed within the framework of the PASEO-project with CONACADO, a confederation of more than 8000 Dominican cacao farmers. Soon the Chocolate Tour will also start in other areas as to make sure that as most farmers will benefit as possible. From August 2010 also a "Casa Familiar" will be available for visitors that would like to stay for more than just one day.
02/06/2010 - Coffee farmers about to start their tourism cooperative
The Kilimanjaro coffee farmers in Tanzania are in the process of establishing their tourism cooperative. The "Kahawa Shamba Tourism Cooperative Union" will comprise three local coffee farmer cooperatives. It will be an unique example in the world of local people owning and managing tourism in their own area.
The establishment of a tourism cooperative is the last step within the framework of the PASEO project with the coffee farmer cooperatives that belong the Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union, KNCU (1984) Ltd.
20/03/2010 - Ben & Jerry's endorses "Chocolate Tour"!
Last year in November and in January this year some groups of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. have experienced the Chocolate Tour. Even Ben & Jerry themselves participated and they have decided to support the tourism project with Conacado in the Dominican Republic.
The Chocolate Tour is part of the Fair Tourism Project with CONACADO, an association of Dominican cacaoproducers that is Fairtrade certified and all its members produce organic cacao. Ben & Jerry's will promote the tour in their network and also make use of their advertising channels to further promote the tour. During the Chocolate Tour the visitors will not only visit the green plantations, but also the processing center, where they can watch and experience the fermentation and the drying process of cacao. The last station of the trip is a typical Dominican lunch with the local women group. After lunch the women will show the visitors how they make cacao wine, cacao marmelade and chocolate. Of course everything can be tasted!
18/01/2010 - TUI incorporates "Chocolate Tour"!
Last December the management of TUI Netherlands has agreed to incorporate the Chocolate Tour in the Dominican Republic. TUI has about 25.000 clients per year who go on holidays to the Dominican Republic. All of them will find the Chocolate Tour leaflet in their excursion booklets.
The Chocolate Tour is part of the Fair Tourism Project with CONACADO, an association of Dominican cacaoproducers that is Fairtrade certified and all its members produce organic cacao. Until now this is unique in the world. The Fair Tourism Project is a joint cooperation of CONACADO, Contour Projects and TUI Netherlands. Financial assistance is provided by the Dutch development organization Cordaid.
18/01/2009 - PASEO at the "Vakantiebeurs 2009"!
From 13 to 18 January 2009 PASEO was participant of the Vakantiebeurs (the Dutch Holiday Fair) again. Representatives from Ecuador, South Africa and Tanzania were present to promote their tours & accommodations. The Vakantiebeurs received about 135.000 visitors this year. Show movie
Faraja Ngarina from KNCU in Tanzania was present to promote their Coffee Tour, the campsite, the restaurant and their lodges. Marco Valle from El Guabo (Ecuador) promoted their Banana Tour and Kholofelo Mosehla from Zebediela Citrus Estate (South Africa) was there to promote their Orange Tour and the guesthouse. Also the newly developed Chocolate Tour on the Dominican Republic was promoted.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to have additional information about PASEO and/or the different tours! Send an email to: Harro Boekhold, boekhold@contour-projects.com or call: +31(0)20 - 626 99 07
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