The winners of the prestigious travel award Die Goldene Palme were announced at tourism magazine GEO Saison during the ITB Berlin 2018. Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel won the first prize in the “Responsible Tourism” category.

Inkaterra was nominated for its initiative to turn Machu Picchu into a global sustainability model, through a public-private alliance with the Machu Picchu Town Hall and Peruvian beverage multinational AJE Group. After the donation of a compacting machine to process 14 tons of plastic waste on a daily basis, the city’s first biodiesel production plant was opened at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel.

The new plant produces biodiesel (reducing carbon emissions up to 44% in comparison to traditional fuels), as well as petrochemical-free glycerin. Each month Inkaterra is collecting 600 gallons of waste oil from local restaurants, hotels and houses, avoiding its spillage to the Vilcanota River.

“We are truly honored with this recognition to an effort Inkaterra has encouraged in Machu Picchu since 1976,” said Inkaterra chairman José Koechlin. “Through scientific research as a basis for wildlife conservation, we managed to restore one of the most biodiversity-rich environments within city limits. Now we aim to turn Peru’s iconic patrimony into an example for all travel destinations worldwide.”

More Info

JOSÉ KOECHLIN APPOINTED VICE-CHAIRMAN OF CANATUR

Elections were held for the 2018-2020 board of directors of the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR). José Koechlin was appointed as the organization’s Vice-Chairman. Named by AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) in its ‘100 World Influential Leaders’ academic list, José Koechlin is also Chairman of Sociedad Hoteles del Perú and E-Meritus Board Member of Conservation International (Washington D.C.). He has been honored with the 2017 LEC Award in the Large Enterprise Category sponsored by EY, the first-ever HOLA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 (Hotel Opportunities Latin America, US Conference), and the 2015 PURE Award in the ‘Contribution to Experiential Travel’ category, among other acknowledgments.

CANATUR aims to help the Peruvian government improving tourism to welcome more visitors by 2021, year of Peru’s bicentennial celebration, through innovative marketing strategies, the improvement of hospitality services and new investment projects.

More Info

FIELD PROJECTS INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES
GENOMICS WORKSHOP AND OTHER COURSES
AT INKATERRA GUIDES FIELD STATION

Three different field courses organized by Field Projects International will be held at Inkaterra Guides Field Station. Genomics in the Jungle: Sample to Sequence in the Amazon Rainforest, Lab and Field Training (July 22-August 4) explores how genetics is revolutionizing biological research, with the successful deployment of instruments that enable molecular work to be conducted ‘on-the-fly’ and in the field. Amazonian ABCs: Fundamentals of Rainforest Ecology and Field Botany (June 3-16 & July 15-28) provides a broad overview of forest ecology and conservation, with a taxonomic focus on plants and a geographic focus on the Amazon basin in Southern Peru. Amazon to the Andes: The Birds of Peru (June 24-July 7 OR July 13) will venture participants into one of the richest regions in the world in terms of bird diversity–the Peruvian Amazon, where more than 1000 species have been reported, including 256 endemics. Application deadline is May 1, 2018.

More Info

BIRD OF THE MONTH:
THE INCA WREN

One of the 214 bird species inventoried at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, the Inca wren belongs to the Troglodytidae Family. This small bird was recently described to science, around the mid 70’s. It can be identified by its dark and gray head with a white supercilium; streaks from face to belly; rufous back, wings and tail; and gray legs and bill.

The species is endemic to Peru, with a very restricted habitat range. The Inca wren is mainly found in the humid montane forest of the Andes in Cusco, commonly seen in Machu Picchu. Spotting the Inca Wren in the Machu Picchu Citadel brings a plus to the visit, as its name honors the Inca culture.

If you spot this bird at Inkaterra, we’d love to see! Snap and share your photos & videos with us. Don’t forget to tag us and hashtag #BirdofMouth #BirdYourWorld.

More Info

CHEF VIRGILIO MARTINEZ TALKS AT
1^ST GASTRONOMY MASTERCLASS
IN THE SACRED VALLEY

On March 14, the 1^st Gastronomy Masterclass was celebrated at the Urubamba Coliseum. The event’s goal was to integrate all participants within a supply chain that encourages the Sacred Valley as an agricultural and gastronomic destination, focused on a sustainable production that benefits local producers, restaurants, hotels, food markets, and the environment.

After opening Mil, his new restaurant facing the circular ruins of Moray, internationally renowned chef Virgilio Martinez (winner of the 2017 Chef’s Choice Award) shared his experiences on food research, high quality standards and hospitality services in front of 1200 assistants. Inkaterra’s agronomist Alfonso Roda was also part of the masterclass, co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Commerce & Tourism (MINCETUR), Cusco’s Regional Chamber of Tourism (CARTUC), the Urubamba Town Hall and the Peruvian Gastronomic Association (APEGA).

More Info

MADAME AIR FRANCE
HIGHLIGHTS CABO BLANCO
AS TOP SURF DESTINATION

The January 2018 edition of Madame Air France included a six-page feature on Cabo Blanco in its ‘Spot Vintage’ section. The coastal town in Northern Peru, a place of pilgrimage for the rich and famous during the 1950’s when it became the deep-sea fishing mecca, is now portrayed as a surfer’s paradise.

“John Wayne, Gregory Peck and Ernest Hemingway all stayed at the ultra-exclusive Fishing Club Cabo Blanco. One of the posters reminds us that in 1953 a certain Alfred Glassell Jr. set a world record by reeling in a black marlin weighing 1,560 pounds,” the chronicle recalls. “Today there’s a revival of interest in the area, and in its preservation, thanks to responsible entrepreneurs like José Koechlin. The founder of the eco-tourism company Inkaterra, he is leading a drive to create Peru’s first marine reserve in Cabo Blanco.”

More Info