Linda Thorsen

Neussa Piske

Elizabeth Hooper

Copán: and TourismThree Perspectives:

Institute of Tourism, Mundo Maya, and Tourists

“Tourism…will not only benefit the country by creating new jobs and bringing in foreign currency, but also by strengthening our national identity, increasing development and competitiveness, and giving Hondurans a higher standard of living.”

-www.hondurastourism.com

Agenda

• Tourism in Honduras

• The Honduras Institute of Tourism (IHT): perspective, goals, projects

• Organizacion Mundo Maya (OMM): perspective, goals, projects

• Tourists: perspectives, trends

• Some ways these perspectives converge / diverge

Tourism in Honduras

• Growing industry critical to Honduras’ economy (Today 73% of Hondurans are below poverty level)

• Important part of Honduras’ overall development strategy

• Responsible for 10% of Honduras GDP• An estimated 1.3 M tourists visited Honduras in 2007• About 50% of those actually stayed in the country• The primary draws today:

– Diving– Islands/beaches– Historical/cultural sites– Unspoiled natural environment

Institute of Tourism: Agenda for Honduras

Goal

• Bring greater sustainable prosperity to Honduras by expanding tourism (growing the number and variety of tourists and length of stays)

Obstacles

• Insufficient infrastructure, high transportation costs, crime, perception (and sometimes reality) of political instability in Central America, Honduras relatively unknown as tourist destination

Institute of Tourism: Agenda for Honduras

Objectives• Provide better tourist infrastructure (transportation, lodging, roads, police)

• Offer a broad range of quality tourist experiences:

– Historical interest

– Cultural interest

– Diving

– Beaches

– Nature and wilderness experiences, adventure tourism, etc.

• Promote Honduras as an attractive destination with moderate costs and a solid tourist infrastructure

Institute of Tourism: More Objectives

• Keep revenue in Honduras. To the extent possible, keep tourism revenue in Honduras and spread the benefits of tourism across Honduras (different regions, constituencies)

• Manage how Honduras is represented to the world. As tourist facilities are expanded and Honduras cultural attractions are interpreted for people outside the region, promote national pride by balancing representation of ancient Maya, which may be the primary attraction, with representations of other pre-Columbian cultures, other periods of Honduras history, and the people and culture of Honduras today

• Leverage Mayan appeal--past and present. At the same time, ensure that Honduras remains an important component of the Mundo Maya, benefiting from tourists attracted by Mayan sites and opportunities to learn about ancient Mayan culture and descendants.

Tourism at Copán

• Most important archaeological site in Honduras• 150,000 visitors annually – 2X all other sites combined• Helped put Honduras “on the map” as part of The Mundo Maya• A vital part of Honduras tourism strategy

Copán and the Honduran Government

• Honduras has both a “national identity” stake and a “national economic” stake in the success of Copán as a tourist destination

• Since the 1930s, the government of Honduras has partnered with high-profile foreign institutions (Harvard, etc.) to invest in transforming the Copán ruins;

• The ultimate goal of this massive excavation and reconstruction project at Copán, which lasted into the 1950s, was to transform the ruins into a major tourist attraction, satisfying the Carnegie agenda of creating another showcase for the Ancient Maya and the Honduran government's agenda of defining a national past based in a recognized “civilization.” (Mortenson)

“We need to maximize the economic potential of Copán, both as a discrete site, and as a way to draw tourists to Honduras in general, while responsibly managing these assets.”

Institute of Tourism: Agenda for Copán

Institute of Tourism: Agenda for Copán

• Protect the resource for future generations

• Continue to improve the tourist experience at Copán

• Create ancillary experiences that encourage tourist spending within Honduras

• Use the popularity of Copán as a way to increase visits to other sites within Honduras

• Leverage Copán within Mundo Maya to bring more visitors to Honduras, improve the Copán experience for visitors, and improve tourism development within Honduras

Institute of Tourism: Projects

• Create physical links between different archaeological and cultural experiences (such as between Copán and the Lenca Trail), using one site to encourage and facilitate visits to others

• Create an international airport in the Copán area to facilitate transport between Copán and other sites within Honduras and within the Mundo Maya (will open in 2010)

• Implement regulations to protect sites such as Copán, controlling the number and activities of tourists and ensuring better preservation of the site as a resource for the future

• Provide incentives to encourage sustainable development projects within Honduras

What is the Mundo Maya?

A concept that utilizes Mayan archaeological sites to unify interests from multiple countries

A region that includes parts of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Belize, organized around Maya ruins

A trans-national organization formalized in 1992 to promote sustainable tourism within the region, and to preserve both the built and natural environments

(The Mundo Maya extends into Honduras, but does not include the entire country. Only a portion of Honduras is included in the official “Mundo Maya” map)

Organizacion Mundo Maya (OMM)

Mission

“Promote the sustainable development of tourism in the Maya region, and help preserve its cultural heritage and environment for future generations.”

Increasing global economy, creating new jobs, bringing new foreign currency, development and competitiveness, and a higher standard of living.

Structure

• Maya Mundo Promoters = Quasi-governmental organization composed of representatives of the participating countries– A legal international entity

• The maya mundo project is not only about ancient pyramids and colonial monuments, but it fuses the modern world with the ancient.

Organizacion Mundo Maya (OMM)

Objectives

• Maintain authenticity of the land and archeological sites

• Eco-friendly Tourism = “Green Travel” – tourists need only one tourist visa to visit the entire mayan world.– Facilitate the free movement of tourists in the region

• Develop and position a quality product with high standards of excellence– Creating hotels, restaurants, better access roads, and airports.

• Strengthen mechanisms to execute sustainable programs and projects– Preserve the wildlife and natural habitats, and encourage research studies.

• Preserve and manage the region’s biodiversity and cultural heritage

• Image development around the world as a region with tourism diversity

Objectives of the Mundo Maya for Copan

• Providing security for tourists access

• Consistent approach to research scholarships and interpretation of history

• Government long-term plan for developing the primary (ecological and wildlife) and secondary (the artifacts and anthropological sites) attractions in Honduras

• Interest not only in Copan, but also encourage tourists to visit the other 4 mundo mayan countries and their sites

Organizacion Mundo Maya (OMM): General Projects

• Information. Development of a regional tourism information system

• Schools outreach. Educate 10-12 year-olds about ancient Maya

• Training for OMM and park rangers for maintenance, protection, and interpretation of archaeological sites (cooperation with U.S. National Park Services)

• Promotional events (participation in international tourism/travel tradeshows).– Unified marketing efforts targeting the major markets in North America and

Europe

– Attempts to expand marketing efforts beyond South America and the Caribbean

OMM Site-Specific Projects(According to one IDB Report)

• Archaeological site restoration: 10 sites

• Access roads to sites: 9 projects, 165 km total length

• Water and drainage projects: 7, covering 2,380 housing units

• Visitor and/or interpretation centers: 7

• 1 ocean docking facility and 1 airport

• Public area improvements: 6 projects

• Border crossing improvement: 3 projects

• Environmental projects and EIAs. 11 projects

• Total investment: U.S.$45M from IDB

– Honduras: $23.8M, $10M of that for Tourism Infrastructure

• Safety and security. Concerns include transportation, food & water, insects, creatures, disease, crime, conflict

• A range of experiences, from self-guided exploration to fully packaged tours, to suit all ages, interests, abilities

• Easy access to attractions, transportation, lodging, etc.

• A sense of authenticity, with new experiences not available at home

• Value for money

• Learning

• Stories, pictures, memories to bring home

What Do Tourists Want?

• Ethical, responsible travel

• Ecotourism, microtourism, pro-poor tourism

• New experiences with cultural connection and participation– Social tourism (social service work)– Cultural exchanges (home stays, etc.)– Archaeological digs– Education

Tourism Trends

Institute of Tourism:

Increase prosperity for Honduras via expanded tourism, leveraging diverse resources including cornerstone sites such as Copán.

Mundo Maya:

Develop tourism in the MM region, preserve sites, and preserve natural biodiversity. Use Mayan sites and the idea of “Mayan Civilization” past and present to attract development and tourist money.

Tourists:

Visit authentic and safe destinations that offer unique experiences and value. Gain historical insights, connect with local culture, participate, travel ethically, bring home memories.

Summary of Perspectives

• Mundo Maya and Institute both want to encourage tourism based on historical & natural attractions, and both want to involve today’s indigenous people and cultures

• Tourism expansion requires infrastructure development that risks damage to sites and damage to the natural environment.

• Different types of tourism have different results -- in number of jobs, cultural impact, environmental impact, potential revenue…leading to tradeoffs/compromises in deciding which development to encourage.

• Institute and Government seek benefits for Honduras and its people, while Mundo Maya seeks benefits for multiple countries

• Tourists want the authentically different and comfortably familiar.

Some Ways These Perspectives Converge/Diverge

Continued…

• Mundo Maya focuses on “The Mayan World” as the chief attraction, positioning other histories, groups as less real, less important, but…promoting a range of histories and cultures could benefit Honduran tourism.

• Mundo Maya’s boundaries are formed by the sites known today, which may or may not be the real boundaries of ancient Mayan influence. MM positions Honduras as “on the border” of historical interest, discouraging “Mundo Maya” tourists from venturing further into Honduras

Some Ways These Perspectives Converge/Diverge

• Bring money to the region and the site. Mundo Maya receives IDB investment for sustained tourism development. More tourist revenue means more money for Honduras infrastructure and site development.

• Control development. The Institute and Mundo Maya seek sustainable development. Coordinated tourism development across Honduras must respect citizens, ecosystems, natural resources, and archaeological sites.

• Transfer knowledge and bring people together. Tourists are ambassadors! Knowledge of archaeological sites and heritage leads to appreciation and preservation.

• Bring prosperity to Honduras. A more prosperous community means a safer, more secure, more stable site

• Give Hondurans and other Central Americans a bigger stake in Copán. As tourism grows, it aligns citizens’ interests with protecting and preserving the site

Conclusion: How These Groups & Tourism Benefit Copàn

• Honduras needs tourists

• Copán brings tourists to Honduras

• Mundo Maya supports sustainable tourism

• Sustainable tourism development will strengthen and preserve Honduras and Copán

Copàn and the Tourists: Bottom Line

Back-up

“Our country is privileged to have an extraordinary natural and cultural heritage: the Bay Islands are surrounded by the world's second largest coral reef; Copán is considered the Athens of the ancient Mayan civilization; and there are beaches of singular beauty, exuberant scenery, colonial towns and living cultures throughout the country.”

-www.hondurastourism.com

“My idea of traveling is to learn something new, especially about ancient or unknown worlds, lose myself in nature and exercise, and be pampered in total relaxation – not necessarily all at the same time. Honduras offers all of this and more.”

– Diane LeBow, freelance travel writer, News-Herald (Southgate, MI)

“Beyond [Honduras’] well-traveled Bay Islands, an enticing landscape awaits the adventureseeking traveler – a jackpot of untrammeled coves, primeval jungle and Maya legacy.”

- Christopher R. Cox, contrib. travel writer, Caribbean Travel & Life

“…Honduras’ attractions rival those of any Central American country. The Copán ruins in Western Honduras are among the most fantastic in the Maya empire. Off Honduras’ Caribbean coast, the Bay Islands Roatan, Utila and Guanaja offer internationally acclaimed Scuba diving and snorkeling.”

-Kirsten Hubbard, Central America Guide, About.com

What the Media say…