On the occasion of World Tourism Day, the Yucatán Tourism Promotion Secretary (Sefotur) presented the titles of the Maya Village program at the Grand Museum of the Maya World on Wednesday, September 27th.
Sefotur Secretary Michelle Fridman stated that this program had been planned since 2019, as they found excellent examples of rural tourism in the state that could generate income and employment for communities.
“As a team, we have all worked to do things right, to do good tourism, not just preservative but even regenerative tourism. Tourism that, instead of polluting and overcrowding sites… in Yucatán, we adhere to our identity,” she said.
The Mayan Village program is divided into three categories: community villages, themed villages, and Mayan experiences.
“One of the objectives is to provide tourists with authentic experiences they won’t find in the United States or Canada; they will find other things, like sitting with Doña Emi to extract honey from the meliponary and taste it, something they won’t experience elsewhere, and that’s what tourists are looking for, especially after the pandemic,” Fridman explained.
In the category of community villages, Yaxunah from the municipality of Yaxcabá, Ek Balam from the municipality of Temozón, and San Agustín from Tekax received titles.
For Mayan Experiences: Aldea Xbatun from Valladolid, Lool Ha Meliponary from Maní, Aldea Maya Xa Anil Naj from Santa Elena, Najil K’at from Uayma, and Cenote Pueblo Fantasma from Chemax were awarded titles.
In the themed villages category, titles were awarded to Tsukán Santuario de Vida in Tinum, Destino Mío Mayan Jungle Retreat in Tekit, Zazil Tunic in Valladolid, and Chichikán.
“Tourism is needed everywhere, but in those corners where other industries do not reach, where it is difficult to find employment or where people have to travel two or three hours to get a job, what better than to bring them the economy through tourism,” the secretary emphasized.
Another objective of the program is to preserve Maya culture and promote local cuisine and ancestral knowledge.
Furthermore, a map of the state was presented, highlighting the Mayan Villages.
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