A Statement on Informed Cultural & Art Travel

For more than twenty-five years, Recursos de Santa Fe and Royal Road Tours have promoted responsibility toward indigenous cultures through our seminars, study tours, and conferences. Over this time, we have developed a guiding philosophy --- a belief in informed travel. Simply put, Recursos strives to promote an appreciation of the natural and cultural resources of our world without consuming or destroying them.

Given how rapidly cultural diversity on Earth is vanishing, we – all of us – face an increasing challenge. Many cultures are in danger of extinction, of being swallowed up by industrialized consumption-oriented societies. As increasing numbers of affluent, sophisticated tourists range further into remote areas, the indigenous groups they encounter typically are lured by material wealth, exploited, and severed from their heritage.

When tribal people abandon their traditions, our world culture is diminished. We lose their religions, their ancient stories, their knowledge of medicinal plants, and their art. We lose their unique world-view; we lose precious alternatives that we might need and should cherish.

We at Recursos de Santa Fe and Royal Road Tours have been developing a network to explore solutions. And by offering visitors a deeper understanding of the cultures they encounter, we hope to instill in them a respect and appreciation for those cultures. We invite you to join us in creating a new and more sensitive philosophy toward art travel and cultural tourism.