In the context of the project "Resilience of communities dependent on nature tourism in the face of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic", implemented by GIZ - Mexico and financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the livelihoods of 23 local enterprises have been strengthened.
The crisis triggered by the health emergency has been seen as an opportunity to reevaluate local tourism development strategies and actions. The objective is to adapt to a post-pandemic tourism market and strengthen value chains for a responsible reactivation of the activity that contributes to the well-being of people, the environment and communities.
In this regard, La Mano del Mono joined the project from July 2021 to January 2023 to facilitate a diagnostic of market readiness and communication needs. This served as the basis for developing the Sustainable Enterprise and Market Ready Crops, which fostered a sense of community among community enterprises and managers. It also favored connections between key actors within the value chain of the regions involved.
The implementation of the crops strengthened the specialized skills of 64 entrepreneurs from 12 organizations in Guatemala (Petén), six in Oaxaca and five in Jalisco (Mexico), with the participation of 50%. Ninety-seven sessions were held, equivalent to 147 hours of training, with the participation of 19 destination managers.
In the process, 14 allied institutions were added and a community of practice was generated through a virtual exchange of experiences. In addition, contacts were established with 90 business partners and two customer profiles were identified for each organization. The program included 13 technical, practical and specialized thematic blocks, providing tools applied according to the needs of each enterprise.
As a result, 48 innovative prototypes of tourism experiences were collaboratively designed, which include sustainable practices and have photographic support. These prototypes were validated by 24 commercial partners, with whom four meetings were held for each venture. In total, 92 commercial validation meetings were held, which led to the conclusion of collaboration agreements and recommendations for improvement.
In addition, an impact measurement study and story collection was carried out to assess the perceptions and personal experiences of venture members, partners and destination managers. This will make it possible to determine the impact of the strengthening program on local livelihoods.
The strengthening of entrepreneurial, commercial and operational capacities and sustainable practices has raised awareness and empowered entrepreneurs in community-based tourism organizations. Intersectoral alliances have also been strengthened and nature tourism experiences have been connected with markets aligned with sustainability.
In summary, a reliable process has been generated that strengthens the resilience of communities and destinations. A learning community connected to specialized markets has been created to provide quality, safe and environmentally responsible experiences that can be replicated in future processes.
Collaboration of Karla Alejandra Rivera Del Aguila Consultant in Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Project Coordinator at La Mano del Mono karla@lamanodelmono.org
