La Mano del Mono

La Mano del Mono enhances the economic opportunities and conservation efforts of rural and indigenous communities in Latin America through sustainable tourism training and innovative digital management solutions.

In the past 50 years, Latin America has lost half of its forests and jungles due to logging, mining and other extractive activities. Around 50% of its rural and indigenous populations have migrated to urban areas because of a lack of jobs. Nature tourism presents a significant opportunity, yet most local companies are not prepared to tap into this market. Additionally, Mexico's public budget for conservation is critically low, at less than 10 Mexican pesos (0.6 USD) per hectare, leaving natural areas underfunded and poorly managed.

La Mano del Mono is a hybrid company comprising an NGO and a for-profit entity. It is dedicated to improving the living conditions of rural and Indigenous communities that own community-based nature tourism companies.

It supports and trains nature tourism, local companies and destinations to be market-ready by offering a free six-month course funded by destination managers such as hoteliers, governments, business chambers, and international cooperatives. The course trains community-based companies in four key areas and supports over 650 nature tourism companies operating in over 100 natural areas.

La Mano del Mono also connects visitors and natural areas through a digital system for reservations and visitor management in natural areas. This system aims to increase financing for conservation efforts, educate visitors, and promote respectful behaviour to prevent overtourism.

For governments and private sector owners of natural protected areas, La Mano del Mono offers a professional, efficient, and automated tool to manage access payments and communicate essential safety information to visitors. This system also provides valuable market data to aid investment decision-making for conservation projects, including local employment, education, water care, and ecosystem restoration.

Programme support

La Mano del Mono collaborates with over 550 private sector companies and more than 100 commercial partners to promote nature tourism. Their work with the Mexican government has resulted in the design of six public policies for sustainable tourism and the promotion of local governance through advisory councils. As part of the Mexico Accelerator Programme, we'll support the enterprise in launching a new technology-based product in the Latin American market, developing recurring income channels, and scaling to new markets.

We're excited to support La Mano del Mono as it continues to drive sustainable practices and economic opportunities while preserving the region's natural beauty for future generations.