VIDIGAL TOURS
Vidigal Tours is a locally owned favela-based tourism company that is seeking to break down negative stereotypes through authentic, adventurous, cultural experiences that highlight the beauty and diversity of the community. Operated by the founder, Russo Edmilson Moraes, Vidigal Tours’ mission is to demystify the favela, keep a sustainable coexistence, cultivate valuable human connection, promote socio-economic impact, and promote awareness of the importance of ecological sustainability.
Their vision is to be the main reference of tourism in Vidigal, who will encourage, train, and promote residents to be new tour guides.
INCUBATION & POSITIVE METRICS
0th position
best Rio's outdoor activities
0 tourists +
attended by Vidigal Tours
0 nationalities +
origins of Vidigal visitors
MISSION
- To offer tours in order to positively transform people’s thinking about the favela, breaking prejudices and showing another side to favela life
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Share the joy of the favela with our customers and employees
VISION
- To be an environmentally and economically sustainable community-based tourism company
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To be the main reference of tourism in Vidigal, who will encourage, train, and promote residents to be new tour guides
VALUES
- Empathy – Be respectful of the community, and local residents
- Honesty – Charging fair prices while offering services that speak openly and truthfully about the favela
- Positivity – Always focus on the positive regardless of the difficulties we face in our daily lives, we strive to be optimistic and renewed at work
LEADER: RUSSO
Born and raised in Vidigal, Russo loves showing travelers the cultural potential and entrepreneurship of his community through his guided tours. Since childhood Russo has spent his life on this hill and has experienced many of the changes in the favela. His passion for storytelling lead him to a professional career in guiding after completing a technical course in tourism. His mission is to make travelers feel at home as they learn about Vidigal’s fascinating history and while facilitating cultural exchange.
Favela Inc.’s incubation helped Russo, the founder, develop his individual freelancing as a tour guide into a microenterprise with plans to hire staff and train other guides. Through incubation, the number of tours Russo secured more than doubled, and he now receives over 400 tourists per year. Revenue has more than quadrupled, from $ 800 BRL per month to $ 4,000 BRL per month. Vidigal Tours now has a fully developed website and social media presence, and has improved its TripAdvisor ranking from #95 to #6 of 487 Outdoor Activities in Rio de Janeiro. Its followers now number over 1.7K on Instagram and 4K on Facebook, both of which were below 1,000 prior to incubation.
LEADER:
RUSSO
Born and raised in Vidigal, Russo loves showing travelers the cultural potential and entrepreneurship of his community through his guided tours. Since childhood Russo has spent his life on this hill and has experienced many of the changes in the favela. His passion for storytelling lead him to a professional career in guiding after completing a technical course in tourism. His mission is to make travelers feel at home as they learn about Vidigal’s fascinating history and while facilitating cultural exchange.
Favela Inc.’s incubation helped Russo, the founder, develop his individual freelancing as a tour guide into a microenterprise with plans to hire staff and train other guides. Through incubation, the number of tours Russo secured more than doubled, and he now receives over 400 tourists per year. Revenue has more than quadrupled, from $ 800 BRL per month to $ 4,000 BRL per month. Vidigal Tours now has a fully developed website and social media presence, and has improved its TripAdvisor ranking from #95 to #6 of 487 Outdoor Activities in Rio de Janeiro. Its followers now number over 1.7K on Instagram and 4K on Facebook, both of which were below 1,000 prior to incubation.