Be a part of something bigger than yourself! Here in Panajachel on beautiful Lake Atitlán, we encourage everyone to visit, to gain a truly deeper understanding of what life in rural Guatemala is like. By participating in an ethical and sustainable travel experience with Hiptipico, you can observe how women support their families from home through artisan cooperatives as well as experiencing authentic rural Guatemalan life.
Through this experience, you will gain a deeper understanding about global issues and you will have ample time to more deeply understand the issues that members of the community and marginalized indigenous groups in Guatemala face.
What is Sustainable Tourism?
Here at Hiptipico, we are passionate about educating others about ethical travel. We’re aware that traveling can easily bring negative effects on communities if not done correctly. By exercising sustainable and ethical travel practices, you will be investing in the indigenous artisans that we work as well as promoting the local Guatemalan economy through your purchases.
With that being said, we strive to do our part in all areas of sustainability, not only in terms of our products and the artisans we work with, but also in the way that we promote tourism of our beloved home here on Lake Atitlán. There are so many ways to visit a country through activities like immersion tours or homestays that can allow you to understand and appreciate the culture of the country that you are traveling in!
During our pre planned ethical travel programs, you will have the option to be accompanied by our founder Alyssa, who can not only explain current Guatemalan cultural issues, but she will also serve as the interpreter for the duration of your stay. That being said, Alyssa can facilitate conversations to allow you to gain many personal connections and deeper experiences.
When you join us on our fashion design immersion trip, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the process behind designing patterns, dyeing fabric, and ultimately creating garments. Or, if you chose to join us for a buying and sourcing trip, you’ll be able to understand the natural dye process with Rosa, where you’ll create your own organic, eco-friendly line! Of course, these are just two of the many ethical travel program options that we offer. We want you to be able to have a perfect experience that will align with your interests. Not only will you be traveling ethically and promoting the local Guatemalan economy, you will also be bringing a wealth of knowledge back home with you!
How are Our Trips Different From Other Programs?
We want to proudly showcase the talent that our female Maya artisans possess when it comes to reclaiming the traditions of their ancestors. There are so many experiences that we want you to have, whether you’re vacationing here in Guatemala or book one of Hiptipico’s alternative spring break, or buying and sourcing trips! We don’t think that there is a more authentic glimpse into daily Guatemalan life and of the culture than being a part of one of our travel programs, as we visit the artisans in their home, where they informally work while they simultaneously take raise a family and take care of their home.
Here at Hiptipico, we are aware that poverty tourism is on the rise, where the tour is full of photo opps with individuals who don’t fully understand what’s going on or tour guides who aren’t paid fairly for their contributions to the tour. When it comes to our beloved artisans, these women are strong, resilient, and resourceful who design exquisite products, not random people you’ll pass as you roll by in a big tour bus. We want you to meet our artisans and create a personal connection with them.
We pay our artisans fair wages and give them full transparency when planning and organizing our travel programs. By participating in ethical travel with Hiptipico, our artisans will be paid more than a day’s minimum wage for the 3-4 hour excursion that they will be hosting you for. We want you to get up close and personal to not only experience life here, but also form relationships and gain a deeper understanding of the traditional culture of our Maya artisans.
The Best Mindset with Ethical Travel.
If you’re dedicated to discovering a deeper understanding of Guatemalan culture and want to know what life is like for your global neighbors, these perspectives will stay with you long after you’ve gone back home. Because our visits aren’t for tourists or open to the public, we have access to extremely remote locations through our trusted artisans. You will gain eye-opening perspectives on the struggles that the informal artisan communities face in rural Guatemala. We are excited to have you here to visit and we hope to see you soon!
Hasta Pronto,
The Hiptipico Staff
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