Catypsa
From conflict to connection, in the heart of Colombia
Basic information
Experience
Do
Impact
Start collaboration:
2025
Directly impacted families:
23
Project description
Catypsa Expeditions is a community-led travel agency born from Colombia’s peace process. Formed by a cooperative of ex-combatants and local farmers, the project aims to build a peace-based economy through rural tourism, environmental stewardship, and historical memory. The agency is part of the larger Catypsa cooperative, which includes 72 members—among them ex-combatants, peasants, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian people, and people with disabilities. Together, they are developing tourism experiences that connect travelers to preserved natural sites, such as Guejar Canyon and the Telares Waterfall, and offer insights into Colombia’s reconciliation process through shared stories and rural life.
Involvement of V Social
V Social, in collaboration with the TUI Care Foundation and Travolution, supports Catypsa Expeditions through the Tourism and Peace program. This includes technical assistance, capacity-building, and strategic planning to help the agency professionalize its offerings and connect with national and international travel markets. Training covers marketing, negotiations, and the creation of new tourism packages, while facilitating exchanges with other community tourism operators in the region. V Social’s support also includes funding for tourism equipment and a budget to strengthen tourism initiatives in post-conflict zones.
Start collaboration:
2025
Directly impacted families:
23
Your impact
Mesetas
Country: Colombia
Twenty-three members of the Catypsa Expeditions team have received training in nature and adventure tourism, participated in experience exchanges, and acquired equipment for rafting, rappelling, and camping. These activities help diversify household incomes and reduce dependence on traditional farming or livestock work. Six local farms in Mesetas collaborate with Catypsa by offering guiding, food, lodging, and agro-tourism experiences. These family-run initiatives engage in conservation, reforestation, and educational efforts, strengthening social ties and improving quality of life in the region.
Their story
