Mexico’s Minister of Tourism Josefina Rodríguez Zamora and Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa led the presentation of the Tourism Experiences Catalog “Journeys through the Maya World,” which highlights 42 authentic experiences that connect the five states of the Maya World region in Mexico.
“This catalog is much more than a travel guide: it is a window into the heart of our communities and a historic milestone, because for the first time, real community tourism is being consolidated,” said Rodríguez Zamora.
She emphasized that five states have come together to showcase to the world a living Maya culture, marketed without intermediaries through cooperative networks, bringing shared prosperity to the people who preserve it.
The initiative is the result of coordinated work among the state tourism departments of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán, that, together with UNESCO, seek to promote authentic community-based experiences that generate direct benefits for local communities.
As part of the 38th Meeting of the Maya World Mexico Alliance, the head of the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) noted that the catalog is now available on the VisitMexico platform, in a special section where visitors can explore the routes and experiences.
The experiences are organized into four thematic routes: the Caste War Route, the Southern Archaeological Route, the Puuc Route, and the Sierra Maya Route.
Rodríguez Zamora explained that the experiences placed in categories such as culture, nature, cuisine, handicrafts, and community tourism, while underscoring that “these experiences are much more than tourist activities; they are living traditions, stories being told, and heritage we want to proudly share.”
Community tourism in the Maya Ka’an region has directly benefited more than 105,000 inhabitants, who in just the first five months of 2025 welcomed more than 33,000 tourists, according to Sectur.
The Minister further noted that, through the Program for Strengthening Efforts via Cooperativism, 11 cooperatives have been trained and equipped, improving the quality of life for more than 220 people.
During the presentation, it was also announced that Mexico will assume the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Maya World Organization in 2026, with the goal of extending the benefits of this community tourism model to Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras.
“With these experiences we are giving the world pure gold, because that’s what they are: diamonds, 42 unique experiences found nowhere else. Only Mexico has them, and now the Maya World does too,” concluded the Minister.
Related: Cultural Tourism in Mexico Grows 19% With Over 12 Million Visitors in 7 Months
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