SUSTAINABILITY
S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y:
At the heart of our hotel project is a specific commitment to local communities and the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Mayan world. Services are provided by community members, which represents 80% of our total hosts at each property.
We work to be the link between the present and the past of the Mayan world through concrete programs: local employment and training, the Haciendas del Mundo Maya Foundation (active since 2002), and hands-on support for 230 artisans across 35 workshops in 16 communities through productive projects and gender-focused cooperatives.
The Haciendas are part of a Mexican business group dedicated to tourism and community development in Mexico, operating education, training, and community well-being programs across the Yucatán Peninsula, with the goal of strengthening Mayan cultural identity and generating verifiable local economic opportunities.
Connecting to the Essence of Maya Biocultural Heritage
Our experiences allow you to learn about and understand the ecosystems and livelihoods of Maya communities. By immersing yourself in this experience, you observe the biodiversity and local heritage and become part of a narrative that celebrates the essence of the communities we engage with. Each visit is an opportunity to connect directly with local artisans, producers, and community programs described in this document.
Social Impact
o Local Employment & Career Development: Creation of job opportunities that prioritize local hiring and the development of personal and collective skills, like structured career planning.
o Community Education Initiatives: Implementation of English classes and personalized training programs to enhance skills and employability, empowering local individuals with valuable knowledge for future opportunities.o Cultural Exchange Programs: Engagement initiatives that promote understanding and appreciation of Maya culture among guests and community members, fostering mutual respect and cultural preservation.
Cultural and Strengthening Identity
o Compilation of oral histories to preserve local legends for future generations.
o Revitalization of traditional medicine practices with Mayan herbalists to enhance community health in their native language in Hacienda Santa Rosa de Lima.
o Reconstruction of properties adhering to traditional architectural styles, ensuring cultural heritage is preserved.
o Educational programs.
Environmental Impact
o Waste Management: Implemented best practices for waste reduction, leading to significant improvements in waste segregation and recycling rates.
o PET Management: Adopted strategies to minimize the use of PET products, promoting alternatives that reduce plastic waste.
o Water Conservation: Measured reduction in water consumption across operations, demonstrating the effectiveness of implemented water-saving measures.
o Biodiversity Protection: Protect native flora and fauna, contributing to the conservation of local ecosystems.
o Environmental Sanitation Campaigns: Engaged communities in environmental sanitation, reforestation, and preservation of traditional Maya practices in sustainable gardening.
Economic Impact
o Local Conservation: Prioritized the purchase of local goods and services, fostering economic opportunities for community vendors and artisans.
o Value Chain Development: Strengthened connections with local producers to enhance the value chain, ensuring fair compensation and promoting sustainable practices.
o Sustainable Job Creation: Created employment opportunities within the haciendas that prioritize local hiring and skills development.
O U R P A R T N E R S
Over the last 25 years, we have invested in tourism development across the Yucatán Peninsula that activates Mayan biocultural heritage, generating intercultural spaces and unique experiences, and accompanying local communities in developing their own community and economic initiatives.
Our tourism project is a platform to connect Mayan culture to value chains. We accomplish the cultural revaluation vision of the Mayan World through companies based in Yucatán and nonprofit organizations that work together toward this shared, long-term goal.
Vision :
To support the long-term wellbeing of rural Mayan communities, grounded in their cultural and natural heritage, through joint participation in their economic and social development.
Mission :
To promote the long-term, integral development of the rural Mayan communities we work with, through intercultural participation in unique experiences and value chains that celebrate Mayan cultural heritage and its surrounding nature — helping generate a better present and future, personally and collectively, for their inhabitants.
P A R T N E R S :
Baktún Pueblo Maya :
We promote the conservation of Mayan biocultural heritage in the Yucatán Peninsula through projects that celebrate and revitalize their cultural legacy. These initiatives contribute to the individual and collective well-being of their communities, strengthening social, economic, and environmental regeneration by recognizing and preserving their tangible and intangible wealth.
https://baktun.org.mx/Catherwood Travels :
The extraordinary starting point to open your eyes, mind—and perhaps even your spirit—to the Yucatán Peninsula artistic, natural, and cultural richness of the Maya World. Experiences designed by Catherwood Travels take you beyond expectations; cenotes, Mayan sites and ruins, and provide new ways to discover the diversity of jewels and magical places of the Maya Universe; and the exclusive spaces that Catherwood Travels offers for admiring, feeling, contemplating, enjoying, exploring, and discovering other ways to travel through a combination of expert knowledge and the warmth and attention of our local hosts, with visits and expeditions through history, nature, and living culture; the pleasure of exquisite stays in haciendas, villas, and private reserves that pamper their guests with home-like care, and with the presence, attention, and sensitivity of all senses, including the taste of Catherwood Travels chefs and cooks.
www.catherwoodtravels.comFundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya :
Foundation dedicated to creating socio-economic development opportunities in the Yucatán Peninsula, with the active participation of community members as protagonists of their own social well-being projects. It implements economic and social development projects framed within the “Community Development Program”, promotes the dissemination, promotion, and rescue of the natural and cultural wealth of the Mayan region, establishing the foundation for the generation of micro-regional development poles and driving strategies to strengthen the capacities and skills of the inhabitants of these communities.
www.haciendasmundomaya.orgLa Vaca Independiente :
We are a social enterprise dedicated to driving the individual and collective evolution of organizations shaping Mexico’s future. Our purpose is to develop the talent and capabilities of leaders, teams, and networks to face change with greater adaptability, resilience, and awareness of ecological and social sustainability.
https://lavacaindependiente.com/Paralelo 19 :
Paralelo 19 is a company formed by a group of renowned Mexican entrepreneurs with extensive experience in the development, design, construction, and operation of major tourism projects, including hotels, golf courses, and various tourism-related properties in Mexico. We primarily focus on the Jalisco Coast and the Yucatan Peninsula. Our model has a clear vision that recognizes the importance of Mexican culture. We promote and preserve the biocultural heritage in the areas where we operate. Our goal is to be successful agents that drive comprehensive development and well-being for local communities, building a better future together for the new generations.
https://www.paralelo19.com/Taller Maya / Traspatio Maya :
Taller Maya is a collective brand of Mexican design formed by a multidisciplinary creative team collaborating with social artisan enterprises in the Yucatán Peninsula to promote the development of their communities. Born in 2002 as a response to the initiative to recover traditional techniques of the Mayan culture through a training program led by Haciendas del Mundo Maya Foundation (FHMM), resulting in self-management and business management projects. Traspatio Maya is a brand representing a network of rural producers in the Yucatán Peninsula dedicated to sustainable production of salts, honey, corn, and vegetables. It arises as a platform for access to a fair trade network thanks to the results of various food procurement projects promoted by Haciendas del Mundo Maya Foundation (FHMM), fostering self-management and empowerment of producers in this region. The artisanal gourmet food alternatives available at Traspatio Maya have a triple impact on a social, economic, and environmental level, ensuring fair labor and trade conditions and sustainable management that protects the natural and cultural resources of the peninsula.
www.tallermaya.orgTransformation Through Art and Education :
We co-create communities of educators who transform education by fostering human capacities, commitment, and leadership among teachers, trainers, and educational leaders. Inspired by art, nature, and cultural heritage, we promote an education that connects the present with the future, applying knowledge to create new ways of relating to social and natural environments.
https://transformacionarteyeducacion.mx/C E R T I F I C A T I O N S , A L L I A N C E S & R E C O G N I T I O N S
For over 20 years, we have been committed to social and environmental responsibility in Mexico. Thanks to this commitment, we have achieved numerous certifications and forged alliances that reflect our dedication to preserving the environment and supporting Mayan communities. Each Hacienda is restored with historical, architectural, social, and natural sensitivity, honoring the Mayan culture that surrounds them.
In 1994, Hacienda Temozón was acquired, marking the beginning of our commitment to the region. Over the years, The Haciendas have been globally recognized for their socially responsible actions. Today, The Haciendas face the challenge of strengthening their environmental initiatives to establish themselves as the best hotel group advocating for Sustainable Tourism.
A M O M É X I C O ( 2 0 2 1 – 2 0 2 2 )
Top-100 recognition; the “Haciendas del Mundo Maya Experience” was awarded.
R A I N F O R E S T A L L I A N C E ( 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 9 )
Joined their Sustainable Tourism verification program (now known as NepCon)
T R A V E L + L E I S U R E ( 2 0 1 0 )
“Global Vision 2010” award for artisanal and architectural heritage rescue.
W O R L D S A V E R S A W A R D ( 2 0 0 9 )
Condé Nast, for social and environmental commitment and poverty alleviation.
E A R T H C H E C K ( 2 0 0 7 – 2 0 0 9 )
International certifier for sustainable tourism developments.
A W A R D R E C E I V E D A T T H E I T B ( 2 0 0 7 )
Berlin World Tourism Fair, for social responsibility practices.
T O U R I S M F O R T O M O R R O W A W A R D ( 2 0 0 5 )
World Travel and Tourism Council, Investor in People Award Winner.