Mass Tourism Takes its Toll on Central American Countries and their Indigenous Populations

     I love Model UN because the conferences and delegations make you think outside of the box in order to solve issues. What's better is that there are countless possible solutions to a specific problem. Model UN is basically a group of critical thinking high school students who are able to come to idealistic solutions. I love it.

    I was recently introduced to the problems of public and private tourism as it relates to Central America. My International Relations class ran a Model UN simulation in order to understand the effects of tourism in the area. Ella McDonald and I represented Guatemala which was quite a unique position. The simulation was actually rooted in indigenous rights in the country and their relationship with tourism and its solution.

    Since transportation has become readily available to most individuals, the tourism industry has quite literally taken off. And, its rise happened quickly. Previously inaccessible areas of the world are now open and accepting visitors from all over. Private and public tourism continues to leave its footprints around the world. Local tourism brings economic benefits, but the attractions are slowly affected by the visiting masses. On a global scale, constant traveling has its own carbon footprint. 

     Such a broad topic such as tourism seems distant from the struggles of Indigenous peoples groups in America, but the effects that tourism has continues to impact these groups. In Guatemala, the most popular tourist attraction is the Mayan Ruins of Tikal, which sits just south of the Belize border. As one of the best preserved architectural ruins in the world, the site sees million of visitors annually. And, the site remains a protected Indigenous Peoples area, amplifying the importance of preservation.

    Naturally, the millions of visitors tear up the landscape and contribute to Guatemala’s tourism footprint. In 2019 alone, Guatemala entertained 3 million visitors, most of whom visited indigenous sites. It’s important to note, too, that the United States Department of State urges tourists to reconsider traveling to Guatemala because of crime rates. But, even with millions coming to Guatemala, the country ranks 82nd in the world for tourism; whatever the country chooses to do will certainly impact the indigenous communities, but the global impact will no doubt be smaller than that of a heavily-visited country.

    Furthermore, Guatemala recently emerged from a three-decade-long civil war, which means that poverty levels and indigenous discrimination is everpresent. With that, legislation for indigenous protection has been swept to the side. But, since 43.5% of Guatemala’s population identifies as indigenous, they should have a large role in protecting their own land. And, with the government focused on other issues, conservation and maintaining an inhabitable environment might just rest on the shoulders of the indigenous population.

    Since much of the indigenous land in question is actually in the possession of their respective indigenous groups, it’s in their best interest to maintain their own land. The Mayan population remains the most Groups in other countries have put restrictions on the number of travelers allowed to enter their indigenous space. Those who enter the land must pay a fee before signing an agreement. The agreement makes them legally responsible for visible damage done and allows the specific indigenous group to fine those responsible for the damage. The government, in this case, simply allows the group to provide the prearranged agreement.    

    Perhaps the most important role the government plays is in allowing the indigenous group, the Mayans, in Guatemala’s case, full rights to their land. Rarely does the government give every piece of land back to the indigenous peoples, and Guatemala will only return the land currently inhabited by the peoples or land that is not currently occupied by others. Indigenous sites, such as the Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Lake Atitlán, will be returned as well as placed under the care of the peoples. 

    Guatemala believes that the care of the sites, and therefore the tourism present at each, will be best regulated by those with the closest connection. The indigenous peoples of Guatemala will, therefore, be the greatest advocates for change of the tourism industry.    

    Guatemala’s policy on tourism’s footprint will be rooted in land return and protection by the Indigenous peoples themselves.

Mayan Ruins of Tikal:

Lake Atilan:

Sources:

“Tourism in Guatemala.” Worlddata.info, https://www.worlddata.info/america/guatemala/tourism.php. 

“Community Rights: A Key to Conservation in Central America.” Mongabay Environmental News, 9 Dec. 2016, https://news.mongabay.com/2016/12/community-rights-a-key-to-conservation-in-central-america/. 

“Guatemala Travel Advisory - Travel.state.gov.” US Department of State, United States Government, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/guatemala-travel-advisory.html.