Yucatan governor seeks federal help to build sustainable tourism industry

From an article by ejalbright posted on AmericanEgypt.com:

Yucatan Governor Ivonne Ortega Pacheco took the microphone during World Tourism Day to seek federal assistance to build a sustainable tourism industry in the state, similar to what occurred 30 years ago to build what is today Cancun.

The governor specifically pointed to the developing Plan Integral de Chichén Itzá (”Integrated Plan of Chichen Itza”) and the Gran Museo de la Cultura Maya (”Grand Museum of Maya Culture,” which is planned for Chichen Itza) as two projects where a helping hand by the federal government would be welcomed.

“Yucatan is in real need of support in terms of tourism, preservation of its resources and development of its communities,” the governor said. “Truthfully, one cannot even imagine the potential that exists in tourism in this land and we cannot wait another generation for things to get started. With determination you (the federal government) can make a difference.”

The President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, issued a similar message, but his focused on the threat of global warming. Tourism, mainly through jet traffic, produces five percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, according to a presidential adviser. President Calderón did announce a new program of $65 billion Mexican that would benefit Cancun, but mentioned nothing about Yucatan.

Governor Ortega warned that in order for tourism programs in Yucatan to succeed, it is necessary for the federal government to take “take decisive action” at Chichen, which she said was entering a new phase. “Help us so that the Wonder of the World does not continue to see its environs deforested, it’s water table polluted, and lack of quality urban development.” she said, and than, echoing US presidential candidate, she added, “Together we can.”

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Maya interpretations of tourism and development

From the paper titled Ecological degradation, global tourism, and inequality: Maya interpretations of the changing environment in Quintana Roo, Mexico by Ana M. Juarez:

Every day Maya women and men see and experience tremendous differences and inequalities between human beings, either as neighbors or tourists, right in their midst, or as newsmakers or characters on television. Some folks have luxuries and money to spend in their leisure; others struggle to achieve new standards; many struggle to survive with limited resources. Mayas of all generations lament their poverty and subordination as they notice others consuming both luxuries and necessities. Thus, while most Mayas in Tulum appreciate touristic transformations, including industrial and electronic technologies and commodities, the building of beautiful homes and gardens, urban boulevards and landscapes, and cultural and economic alternatives and opportunities, they simultaneously critique their oppressed and subordinate status within the new economy.

Ambiguities and contradictions in Maya stories about the present and past represent an astute recognition of their life experiences and histories, but they are also more than that. They are critiques, not of globalization per se, but rather of their position within globalizing national and world systems. Unfortunately for Mayas, they realize their attempts to achieve autonomy through their resistance-based social organization have been obstructed. However, in 1986, Tulum's Iglesia Maya was revitalized when its miraculous cross-- which had been residing in a rival Maya ceremonial center-refused to leave. On one of its occasional pilgrimages, the men responsible for returning the cross reported they were no longer able to lift it, and it was determined that the cross wanted to stay home in Tulum. The cross subsequently demanded devotion from Tulum residents and led to a revitalization of the Iglesia Maya. Since Mayas have proven to be experts at transforming cultural practices and cultural logic in changing environments (cf. Collier, Mountjoy, and Nigh 1994), there is no reason to believe the tourist era will be different. I would not be surprised if new interpretations of the coming wutz go beyond the customary prophecies to include expectations of good jobs, decent wages, decreased disparities of wealth, and the personalization of commercial exchanges. If academics, policy analysts, and corporate developers want to alleviate the severe social and ethnic stratification found in one of Mexico's wealthiest states, they would do well to listen to Maya interpretations of their changing environment.

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Destination spotlight: Toledo Ecotourism Association, Belize

From the Web site of the Toledo Ecotourism Association:

The TEA guesthouses are designed to give both tourists and villagers personal privacy while allowing a respectful cultural exchange. The location of the guesthouses vary in each village - some are in the center, while others are on the outskirts. Accommodations are simple and clean, built of local wood and covered with a traditional thatch roof. Eight bunkbeds with mattresses and mosquito netting, along with blankets and towels are provided. Primitive, private outdoor showers (usually a bucket and cup) and latrines are provided. Be prepared to rough it.

The objective of the T. E. A. is to share the benefits of tourism as widely as possible throughout each participating village. Guides, food providers, and entertainers are rotated among seven to nine families in each village.

The Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary are elected for each T.E.A. village every two years. In addition, members vote on a board which oversees the running of the program, ensuring guesthouses maintain certain standards and that tourism is distributed as fairly as possible among the villages. Click on the links below for further information on each village.

Ten different villages participate in the Toledo Ecotourism Association program . . .

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Maya civilization, Mayan gods and dieties

From the Web site of Yucatan Adventure:

This September's articles are about ancient Maya Civilization with a brief introduction to Mayan Gods & Deities, and how the Spanish Catholicism forced Mayans to blend both belief systems.

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Hakeb Be Library: Literacy & learning

From the Hakeb Be Web site:

Our Mission: Hekab Be promotes literacy and learning opportunities among children and adults in Quintana Roo, Mexico, in order to meet their educational goals. Serving as a tool for educational, social and economic progress, we provide individuals and families with resources for scholastic advancement, helping improve people’s language and literacy skills, while promoting cultural preservation and awakening the desire to understand other customs and ways of thinking.

Hakeb Be has a wish list for those who'd like to help.

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Destination spotlight: Yaxkin Spa, Chichen Itza, Mexico

From National Geographic's Top 50 Wellness Destinations: North America:

The Spa: Holistic Yaxkin Spa offers traditional Mayan treatments inspired by its Yucatán jungle surroundings.

Treatments: Try sasil-tun, hot-stone therapy; kakaw, cacao-coconut massage; or zumpul-che, a purifying sweat bath once performed by the Aztecs. Treatments utilize local herbs, honey, and cacao.

Local Sights: Explore the sixth-century ruins of Chichen Itza and the grounds' lush tropical forest (home to over 150 bird species) between treatments.

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Spectacular Sian Ka’an bioreserve continues to burn

An article by Jeremy Schwartz from the Austin American-Statesman:

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in the Yucatecan jungle near Cancun has been burning for five days and it’s not clear when authorities will be able to put out the fire.

The fire, which was fueled by winds associated with Hurricane Ike, has ravaged nearly 10,000 acres of the World Heritage Site, which hosts about 500 bird and mammal species and is a nesting site for endangered sea turtles.

Reserve director Francisco Guerrero told the Efe wire service that fire crews may need to cut roads into the reserve to bring in heavy machinery, which would cause “extensive environmental damage.”

Sian Ka’an, which means “Where the sky is born” in Mayan, contains 23 archeological sites, some of which are more than 2,000 years old. It sounds like an amazing place. According to the bioreserve’s website, “the northernmost section of Sian Ka’an contains what is thought to be an ancient trade route through lagoons and mangrove channels between the cities of Tulum and Muyil.”

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Mexico Celebrates First Certified Beach

Perhaps beaches along the Mexican Caribbean will someday gain certification, as The Rainforest Alliance describes the certification of El Chileno:

Visitors to the white-sand beach of El Chileno in Mexico's Baja California Sur can play in crystalline waters, enjoy surf, sun and sand, and chat with the locals… all with the knowledge that this tranquil spot is clean and safe enough to have earned Mexico's first beach certification.

The Mexican Institute for Standardization and Certification has certified the beach, guaranteeing El Chileno's compliance with a standard established by Mexico's Sub-Secretary for Environmental Promotion and Regulation. Published in 2006, the standard establishes requirements and specifications for the sustainability of beach quality, covering recreational use as well as conservation goals. The standard includes such criteria as water quality, solid waste, coastal infrastructure, biodiversity, security and services, environmental education and noise pollution.

The certification "will help El Chileno attract more tourists who are concerned about the quality of the places they visit," said Mexico's secretary of the environment and natural resources, Juan Rafael Elvira. "This will translate into more jobs and better living conditions for the local community."

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Biosphere reserves in Campeche

From the Web site of the Mexico Tourism Board:

Campeche is surrounded by important ecological reserves where you can observe diverse types of plant and animal life. Many of them are protected areas in order to sustain the survival of such endangered species as the hawksbill sea turtle and the jaguar.

Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve – Located 145 km (90 mi) from Campeche along the state highway. This reserve has one of the largest mangrove areas on the Gulf Coast. It’s a great place to relax and is also the breeding grounds of the pink flamingo and the hawksbill sea turtle. This reserve has coastal dunes and petenes (small floating island formations with vegetation). The animals inhabiting this area include manatees, octopuses, crown conches, horseshoe crabs, seagulls, white herons, diving ducks, Yucatan quails, wildcats, Jabiru storks and boa constrictors, among other species.

Calakmul Biosphere Reserve – Located 210 km (130 mi) southeast of the capital. This protected tropical reserve is the largest in Mexico, with 723,185 hectares (more than 1.7 million acres). It’s an ideal place to observe flora and fauna, as it has lowland jungle vegetation and animal species such as jaguars, ocelots, wildcats, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, anteaters, great curassows, harpy eagles and tapirs.

Laguna de Terminos – Located 181 km (112 mi) southwest of Campeche, off Highway 180, in Ciudad del Carmen. This protected area, which covers 705,000 hectares (1.7 million acres), forms part of Mexico’s most important delta. In addition, it is the largest and most voluminous estuary-lagoon system in the nation. This area is ideal to observe a wide variety of coastal and aquatic plant species.

Zona de los Petenes – Located 90 km (56 mi) north of the capital. This zone includes the cities of Calkini, Hecelchakan, Tenabo and Campeche. It has small floating island formations that develop in the mangroves. The sinkhole here plays a key role in sustaining life in this ecosystem, as it maintains a natural equilibrium between the freshwater on the surface and the salt water on the bottom. Here you’ll see diverse flora, including red, black and white mangroves near the ocean, and buttonwood mangroves in the lowland jungle areas.

La Estacion de la Vida Silvestre en Hampolol – Located 15 km (9 mi) from the city of Campeche, off the Campeche-Tenabo Highway. This 100-hectare (247-acre) area provides ideal conditions for lowland flora. The region has swamp zones, which are the habitat of various reptiles, amphibians, mammals and songbirds, making it one of the state’s important ecological areas, largely because of its key water sources.

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MEXICO’S INDEPENDENCE DAY, SEPTEMBER 16th

From the September edition of The Akumalian:

The stage for the upheaval and dissatisfaction that gave rise to Mexican independence was set by political and economic changes in Europe and its American colonies of the late 18th and 19th centuries. The French revolution and Napoleonic wars diverted attention of Spain from its colonies leaving a vacuum and increasing dissatisfaction and desire for local government. The forced removal of Ferdinand VII from the Spanish thrown and his replacement by Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, presented opportunity for Mexican intelligentsia to promote independence in the name of the legitimate Spanish king.

From its inception the colonial government of New Spain was dominated by Spanish born Peninsulares or Guachapins, who held most leadership positions in the church and government, in contrast to Mexican-born Criollos (Creoles) who were the ten to one majority. Neither the Peninsulares nor upper class Criollos desired to involve the masses of native Indians and mestizos in government or moves for local control. . . .

In September 1810, Father Hidalgo was forced to prematurely distribute the Grito de Delores to his parishoners and nearby residents which was an appeal for social and economic reform. With little organization and no training, essentially a mob of thousands of primarily Indians and mestizos overwhelmed royal forces in Guanajuato, and proceeded to murder and loot Peninsulares, Criollos and other "whites" in their path. The force continued to Mexico City and defeated royalist on the outskirts, but did not enter and occupy the city, after which the ragged revolutionary army returned home. . . .

Hidalgo and his Creole officers were later able to assemble an army of 80,000 by payment with looted Peninsulare gold and assets. Viceroy Francisco Javier Venegas, and his soon to be successor, Gen. Felix Maria Calleja del Rey, responded to the insurgency with a vengeance, and in January 1811 Hidalgo suffered a serious defeat outside Guadalajara where rebel forces were routed at Calderon Bridge. Bloody retaliation followed by mass executions of suspected rebel sympathizers by Spanish crown forces under Viceroy Calleja del Rey. Hidalgo and associates turned toward the northern provinces Nuevo Santander, Nuevo León, Coahuila and Texas for refuge, where local sympathy for the rebellion and independence continued. . . .

At the core of Mexican patriotism is Hidalgo's Grito de Dolores. Every year, on the night of September 15-16, the President of the Republic "reenacts" the Grito on a balcony of the National Palace as the climax of the Independence Day celebrations. To do this with historical accuracy is well-nigh impossible, for no one knows precisely what Hidalgo said. The three principal contemporary reports fail to agree. Sotelo's account, the most confused and least authoritative, stated that the Grito was a short speech, made from the window of the priest's house, to the first group of followers who assembled before dawn.

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Workshop featured on Playa Maya News

From an article on Playa Maya News:

Meet Ed Blume: Diving enthusiast, active volunteer and renewable resource expert.

Ed Blume grew up in northern Indiana, and he always dreamed of living in a tropical paradise. Now living in Madison, Wisconsin, Ed works as a communications director for RENEW Wisconsin, an NGO that promotes renewable energy policies and projects, like solar, wind, and biomass energies.

At around the age of 50 Ed realized that he needed to live the dream quickly or not live it at all. He then qualified for his Open Water Diving certification and first ventured to the Riviera Maya in 2000 to volunteer with Centro Ecológico Akumal , a local non-profit located in Akumal just south of Playa del Carmen. Over the years he has helped CEA make improvements within its volunteer program, as well as building a mailing list database as well as with fundraising efforts.

Although Ed is still an active supporter of CEA it became difficult to continue to help with "hands on" volunteering when he did not live in the Rivera Maya year round. In 2005 he came up with an idea to organize workshops on renewable energy in the Riviera Maya. The workshops let him combine his love of the ocean, and the area, with his professional interests, which include planning, organizing, and managing workshops and tradeshows on renewable energy. Although not a property owner in the Riviera Maya, he is able to visit two or three times a year, and plans on becoming a snow bird, living in paradise during Wisconsin's frigid winter months.

Ed will be running his fourth annual workshop on Green Homes and Renewable Energy in the Riviera Maya November 6-8, 2008 for more information please visit his site.

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Nominations open for Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

From the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Web site:

Destination Stewardhsip Award
This award goes to a destination - country, region, state or town - which comprises a network of tourism enterprises and organisations that show dedication to and success in maintaining a programme of sustainable tourism management at the destination level, incorporating social, cultural, environmental and economic aspects as well as multi-stakeholder engagement.

Community Benefit Award
This award is for a tourism business or initiative that has effectively demonstrated direct benefits to local people, including capacity building, the transfer of industry skills, and support for community development.

Conservation Award
Open to any tourism business, organisation or attraction, including lodges, hotels or tour operators, able to demonstrate that their tourism development and operations have made a tangible contribution to the conservation of natural heritage.

Global Tourism Business Award
Open to any large company from any sector of Travel & Tourism - cruise lines, hotel groups, airlines, tour operators, etc - with at least 200 full-time employees and operating in more than one country or in more than one destination in a single country, this award recognises best practices in sustainable tourism at a large company level.

Make a nomination to highlight ecoturism in the Yucatán Penninsula!

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Oldest skeleton in Americas found in underwater cave?

From a story by Eliza Barclay from National Geographic:

Deep inside an underwater cave in Mexico, archaeologists may have discovered the oldest human skeleton ever found in the Americas.

Dubbed Eva de Naharon, or Eve of Naharon, the female skeleton has been dated at 13,600 years old. If that age is accurate, the skeleton—along with three others found in underwater caves along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula—could provide new clues to how the Americas were first populated.

The remains have been excavated over the past four years near the town of Tulum, about 80 miles southwest of Cancún, by a team of scientists led by Arturo González, director of the Desert Museum in Saltillo, Mexico (see map of Mexico).

"We don't now how [the people whose remains were found in the caves] arrived and whether they came from the Atlantic, the jungle, or inside the continent," González said.

"But we believe these finds are the oldest yet to be found in the Americas and may influence our theories of how the first people arrived."

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Best practices in renewables and energy efficiency

Tour Operator Best Practices at a Glance from the Tour Operators manual of the Renewable Energy in Tourism Initiative.

Short‐term Initiatives
1. Development of Environmental Standards for Suppliers and Affiliate Properties – As strongly evidenced by one of the respondents, there is a social component which drives this initiative. The dedication to improve one’s practice trickles down to all.

2. Purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) or Carbon Offsets – All of the responding tour operators participate in such programs whether for office, retail, and/or employee travel energy consumption.

3. Lighting/Small Appliances Retrofits – A very reasonable expense as evidenced by all participants is the usage of compact fluorescent bulbs and replacing appliances with Energy Star models.

Long term Initiatives
1. PV Systems – Two of the responding tour operations detailed their commitment to installing and resultant usage of solar powered systems. It is interesting to note that small scale systems can present more challenges than a larger system as
technology is not currently geared to site specifics of a small use system.

2. Hydro‐powered Battery System – One tour operator has installed a small‐scale hydro system that powers up batteries through a “trickle down” method for running equipment. The challenge to this system is not using too many of the batteries at
one time.

3. Alternative Motor Fuels – Most interesting is the tour operator company that utilizes waste vegetable oil. Since these vehicles do not use any “road” fuel, they do not pay road use tax. This particular company has experienced positive
feedback from local citizens who see their use of biodiesel promoted on their “Veggie Trucks”.

4. Open Concept Office – No walls, no barriers. This allows for better heating and cooling system, lighting systems, and general office operations. Utilization of optimal placement of work stations can roll over into other settings.

Travelers can share this list of practices with the eco-tourism operators and destinations they visit.

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What is a carbon footprint and what can we do to reduce it?

This post isn't meant to be a promotion for a particular development in the Riviera Maya, but the Mary Odermatt provides some good thoughts on being eco-friendly:

I have given some thought to my own lifestyle here in Playa del Carmen and realize that I have a much smaller carbon footprint here than I did in my previous home of Vancouver. I ride my bicycle or walk throughout Playa del Carmen and Playacar, for longer distances of course, I take the bus. In addition, we use energy efficient light bulbs, and try to use our A/C sparingly (sometimes that’s really hard!!). We have been growing plants and trees on our balcony and have given some away to friends who have garden space. Our neighbor in the apartment building where we live has created a common garden area and we have been adding some plants there too, including a mango and an avocado tree! It is very satisfying to watch these trees grow from a small seed. It is also fairly easy to grow most things here thanks to the climate; even someone with a thumb as black as mine has been able to sprout mango trees.

One of the other things I have recently trained myself to do is to bring my own bag when grocery shopping. I have a plain shoulder bag that works great, even the bag boys at our local grocery store, Dac, are slowly getting used to me declining the plastic bags.

Alternative energy is another excellent natural way to reduce your direct impact on the environment; the sun and wind are natural and constant resources.

If we all do our part to be more conscious of our activities and how they affect the environment we can make a positive impact on changing the environment.

So imagine what you can do with your own jungle retreat in the eco-friendly development “Rancho Mayab Xpu-Ha” near Puerto Aventuras in the Riviera Maya. Plant trees in a climate where plants and trees grow easily. Use solar and wind energy in a place where the sun almost always shines and the sea breeze is constant. Last but not least, seriously reduce and offset your carbon footprint!

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Bike trip down the Mexican Riveria

From a personal report by Charles Lynch for the Coloradoan:

I haven't spent any time with my old high school buddy, Don, since getting married and starting a family in 1984.

But then there we were this summer flying into Cancun on our way to biking down the Mexican Riveria with a warm wind at our backs.

If this isn't paradise, I think to myself, than this has to be as close as it gets. . .

Instead of continuing to follow Highway 307 south from Tulum the following day, we veered east toward the coast for a few miles to pick up the mostly dirt Boca Paila road that runs along the beach toward Punta Allen. . . .

Punta Allen doesn't have much in the way of new development but definitely prospers from the increase in tourism that the road improvements have brought.

People mostly come for the offshore fishing, eco-boating tours and the romantic beach houses. After spending a few days there, I realized that people are also drawn to the town's quiet authenticity.

It harkens back to a simpler, more relaxed era before the technological advances and the competitive push toward unlimited prosperity took hold of our common sense.

Of course, even as I think this, I remembered sitting in a very humble home internet café (no coffee served) located in what might have been an extra family bedroom and inadvertently looking up only to find a copy of Guitar Hero sitting on the top shelf.

Our 12 days of bicycling adventure ended in Punta Allen. But already I'm sketching plans for a return trip next year to the remote ruins of Rio Bec and the once mighty Calakmul, which contains the largest pyramid in the entire Yucatan.

It's all part of the plan to get out of the rat race and into the human race.

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