Sustainable tourism?

There is an organization based in the Livingston-Río Dulce area (we are now in Río Dulce) that is a school of sustainable tourism. Young indigenous students come from all over Guatemala to study ¨sustainable tourism¨there. Today, Ashleigh and I visited the school briefly. The students study there for two weeks, then do a week of ¨practica¨in one of the organization´s business entities. For example, there is a restaurant in Livingston, where Ashleigh and I have eaten, where the students work. They also work at the Spanish fortress in Río Dulce that Ashleigh and I visited today. It´s nice that we have gotten a good glimpse at this organization, Associación Ak´Tenamit (Translation of Quiché is Pueblo Nuevo, or New People), in three different places.

One question I hold is, what exactly is ¨sustainable tourism¨? My instinct tells me that it would try to put tourism in the hands of the locals, and give them the tools to invent their own futures through tourism. But I wonder, are they developing creativity and entrepreneurship through their studies? I would really like to see the school in action, and watch the students working together, and learn about the philosophy behind sustainable tourism. Next trip to Guatemala, maybe!

Now we are staying in the Hotel Backpackers in Río Dulce, a place that is the business arm of an organization called Casa Guatemala. This is a home and school for abandoned or neglected children, where they can study and develop life skills. It is financially supported by donations, and most of the work is carried out by volunteers from abroad. Ashleigh and I have had some great conversations with the people here at the hotel about what Casa Guatemala is like, how the children end up there and how they benefit from being there.

Next, we move on to Guatemala City, for a brief stay there, and then we will go back to San Marcos at Lago Atitlán for a bit. I have decided to try to take a break from blogging, since I only have about two weeks left in my trip and I definitely want to aprovechar of every minute! So, I don´t expect I will be on the computer much, if at all. See you all back in the U.S.!

Peace, love, and light to all.