Kagumu has decided to stop taking travelers to one of the most popular tourist destinations in Medellin, Colombia: Comuna 13. In this detailed post, learn why.
There’s no denying that Comuna 13 is an alluring stop to include on your visit to Medellin. Its story of transformation - from arguably one of the world’s most dangerous neighborhoods - to one of the most vibrant and visited places in the country, is fascinating. Amongst several factors, a key catalyst for this change was the drive to reclaim the neighborhood by local artists, activists and change-makers. It is this human story, and the concept of ‘community-led tourism’, that makes so many people want to visit.
And there are a lot of people! According to this article in newspaper El Colombiano, the mayor’s office estimated 25,000 monthly visitors but unofficial data suggests a much bigger 90,000 people flocking to the area each month.
And, the problem? Chaotic, unregulated development, difficult living conditions for many locals, potential dangers for those living and visiting the area and a new surge in gang dominance are only some of the headlines.
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Our Operations Manager, Ana, is an expert guide, having brought visitors to Comuna 13 for many years. She is also a local. During this time she has seen, firsthand, the evolution of the neighborhood and has shared and listened to many stories from residents as the tourism industry continues to boom. As these conversations continued internally, it was clear to the team that as a ‘sustainability-focused’ tour operator, it was our responsibility to look more closely and reevaluate Kagumu’s contribution.
Here were some of the key issues we considered during our investigation:
INFRASTRUCTURE - the area around Comuna 13’s ‘electric stairs’, which were originally designed to mobilize around 12,000 people each month, are reportedly carrying this number in just one day!
Not only this but the informal construction of the neighborhood with its narrow winding paths, rapid, unregulated building work and the increasingly erratic weather conditions have the combined potential to cause serious risk to both locals and visitors.
ACCESS - the sheer quantity of groups visiting on any given day means that the houses at the center of it all are no longer accessible by vehicle. Whilst for some this is, at best, inconvenient, for many others it has serious implications.
For example, Angela, a local resident with three children with disabilities and an aging father is unable to reach her front door by taxi. She explains in this video for Mañana Express just how difficult life has become for her family and neighbors.
Not only that, but it has reached such dangerous levels of overcrowding that the Municipality of Medellin has had to put out alerts, warning of the lack of mobility around the neighborhood.
SOUND POLLUTION - visitors may find the ‘hustle and bustle’, blaring music and shouts from street performers creates a ‘lively’ atmosphere and memorable experience, but for those living day-in-day-out with competing noise, the ability to work, relax, watch TV or sleep becomes more and more difficult.
“My sister-in-law had to finish her pregnancy elsewhere, because the noise here was stressing her out,” one resident was quoted as saying.
And the noise (and actual) pollution spreads much further, as taxis queue to drop off and collect tourists at the bottom of the hill.
HEALTH & HYGIENE - as restaurants and stalls have popped up everywhere to take advantage of visitors' rumbling bellies and desire for a michelada (a refreshing drink made of beer, lemon and salt), the waste management systems are struggling to keep up.
‘And this mountain of rubbish in Comuna 13? A time bomb threatens the neighborhood’, is the title of an article written by Exclusivo Colombia. It highlights the ‘mountains of rotting waste’ and ‘feasts for rats and vultures’ that accumulate overnight, as the hordes of tourists generate more rubbish than both the authorities and residents are able to dispose of, creating an unappealing and unhygienic environment for residents to live in and for tourists to pass through.
INDIVIDUALISTIC - the wellbeing of residents may have been an original factor in opening up the community to visitors but it has slipped off the radar in many respects, aside from the mountains of rubbish.
Ana, who has lived close by and been an active member of the community for many years, has noticed the shift from community action to individual endeavors. Reinvestment into community assets like playgrounds have been left to one side and previous homes have been abandoned and turned into shop fronts and fronts for businesses.
OUTSIDERS - and although tourism may be offering local employment, the majority of people benefiting are in fact outsiders, bringing tour groups through the area, retelling the story of the neighborhood as their own with little to no benefit for the people that live there.
TEMPTATION - whilst the majority of tourists are well-meaning when they offer a few Colombian pesos to local children in exchange for a tour or a game of football, the knock on effect is a temptation to treat this as work.
Older generations, like one of the women in this same video for Mañana Express, have noticed their children and grandchildren using toys as a money-making tool rather than for play, and there has even been suggestions of turf wars between these young groups.
EXPLOITATION - reports of illegal groups running the area are widely acknowledged as true. With large amounts of money coming in through tourism, with no regulation from the State, local businesses, guides and individuals are expected to pay a weekly ‘vacuna’ to the gangs for their ‘protection’.
“ They only care about money. So, they don't care if the guides are informal, if there are children working, if the businesses invade the public space. They don't care because they charge everyone a tax. Every single business pays an illegal tax.”
A social leader, from the area, who wanted to remain anonymous, told El Colombiano in another report.
And last year, an article from newspaper El Pais, offered a valuable overview of what this all means:
“a transformation of the transactions that arise between residents and the armed gangs…paying for the exposure of the territory as a space of historical memory, but not the substance: violence and extortion as a mechanism of territorial control.”
In other words, whilst there has been a shift in what runs the area, from drugs to tourism, the same fundamental social dynamics are still in place.
KAGUMU’S ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
So, having considered all of the above, continuing to bring Kagumu groups to Comuna 13 did not fit within the company’s ethos of sustainable and responsible travel.
Luckily, there are so many other areas to explore, stories to hear and experiences to be had!
Kagumu has developed some excellent alternatives including learning salsa with Union Latina and some of their incredible young dancers, eating the best Pacific Coast food at Choco Con Amor, an Afro-Colombian family run restaurant, and getting creative with UVA de La Harmonia.
We guarantee it won’t disappoint!
ONE FINAL THING…
We want to make it clear that there is still a lot of great work going on in Comuna 13, led by inspiring individuals who work tirelessly to manage the influx of tourists in a positive way. And there is no problem in wanting to visit this community for yourselves.
But if you are going to go, here are a few suggestions:
If this topic is of interest to you, you can join us during International Education Week for an interactive webinar run by the very knowledgeable Ana: Community Tourism: Is it really sustainable? For more information, get in touch.