Community Tours Sian Ka’an Wins First Place at Qatar Travel Mart 2025
Community Tours Sian Ka’an proudly represents the heart of the Maya world. During the fourth edition of Qatar Travel Mart 2025, our cooperative received First Place in Green Destinations’ Good Travel Stories Competition in the “People & Culture” category for the documentary video “Community Tours Sian Ka’an: The Heartbeat of the Community.”
This distinction was awarded by Green Destinations, the strategic sustainability partner of Qatar Travel Mart, recognizing initiatives that demonstrate how tourism can regenerate the cultural and natural heritage of humankind — not only preserve it.
Watch the winning story here:
📽️ Community Tours Sian Ka’an — The Heartbeat of the Community
▶️ Watch Video
See the recap of the Qatar Gala Dinner where the award was presented:
✨ Qatar Travel Mart Awards Ceremony Recap
A Recognition from the Heart of the Maya Community
Upon receiving the award, our director Román Caamal shared a powerful message:
“We are a cooperative with authentically Maya partners. This recognition validates our vision but demands an even greater commitment every day for the regeneration of our bio-cultural heritage. Tourism must serve life — from the heart of every community.”
Why Our Model Matters: Regeneration from Within
The CTSK model demonstrates that when Indigenous communities lead tourism, nature and tradition thrive. Our alliance with CONANP and civil society has transformed tourism into a tool that protects the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve — Mexico’s largest mangrove ecosystem and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sian Ka’an is not only a destination — it is a conservation diamond. Home to millions of tons of blue carbon, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, and ancestral wetlands that support life across the peninsula.
Moments of Connection at Qatar Travel Mart
Beyond the award, the event became a bridge between civilizations, weaving new alliances based on shared values, sustainability, and cultural dignity.
With ProColombia: Exchanging experience with Executive Representative Marcela Monroy, the Colombian Embassy in Qatar, Román Caamal, and Beatriz Barreal — planting seeds for cross-regional collaboration.
With UN Tourism: Dialogue with Samer Alkharashi, Regional Director for the Middle East — reinforcing tourism as a tool for peace and wellbeing.
At the Green Destinations stand: Conversations with Iyad Kayali and Amit Bhatia about elevating community-led models globally.
Join Our Vision
Every journey to Sian Ka’an helps protect the land, empower Maya communities, and regenerate our shared heritage. Thank you for believing in a tourism that serves life.