We have news we have been waiting to share: Community Tours Sian Ka’an is a finalist for the TO DO Award 2027, the International Contest for Socially Responsible Tourism. Out of 50 applications from around the world, our Maya cooperative in Muyil is one of only six finalists.
For a cooperative of Maya families who guide, cook, steer boats and care for the lagoons of Sian Ka’an every single day, this is not a trophy on a shelf. It is recognition of a way of welcoming visitors that we have defended for more than 25 years: hospitality decided by the community, on its own land, for the good of that land.
What Is the TO DO Award?
The TO DO Award has been organised since 1995 by the Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung, a German institute that studies how travel affects the places and people it touches. It recognises initiatives where local people do not simply work in hospitality: they participate in it and decide how it happens in their own territory.
That last part is the heart of the award, and it is also the heart of how we work. Nobody from outside decides how many boats enter the canal, which trails our bird guides walk, or what our cooks serve after a day on the water. Those decisions are made by the members of the cooperative.
The winners will be announced in early 2027 and honoured at ITB Berlin, one of the most important travel fairs in the world.
Why This Matters for a Maya Cooperative
Many travellers arrive in Tulum without knowing who is behind the experience they book. In our case, the answer is simple: a cooperative of Maya families from Muyil and Chunyaxché. The captains who steer your boat, the guides who tell the stories of Xlapak and the cooks who prepare breakfast at the palapa work with that cooperative, not for an outside company, and what you pay stays in the community.
Being a TO DO finalist tells the world that this model works. It shows that a community can protect a UNESCO World Heritage Site and make a dignified living from it at the same time, and that the two goals strengthen each other.
In the Words of Our President
When the TO DO team asked us for a message to share with the world, our president, Alberto Cen Caamal, answered:
“Sian Ka’an, ‘where the sky is born’, is our sacred land. Hospitality is how we protect it: every visitor who travels our ancestral Maya canals leaves as one more of its guardians.”
And the motto we sent with it: “We welcome the world so that our sacred land can keep welcoming life.”
A Year of Recognition
This finalist place joins a path that our visitors and partners have helped build: Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice in 2024, 2025 and 2026, the Good Travel Seal Silver, the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories, first place worldwide in the People & Culture category of the Good Travel Stories 2025, and the Quintana Roo State Tourism Award 2025. You can read how each of these is earned in why our cooperative keeps winning.
We also want to thank our strategic ally, Riviera Maya Sostenible, for the push that made this application possible, and every visitor who chose to book directly with a Maya cooperative instead of a faceless operator.
How You Can Be Part of It
The best way to support a finalist is to experience what it does. Spend a day with us on the Ancient Canal Tour in Sian Ka’an, paddle the canal the Maya built on our kayak tour, or walk the Muyil archaeological zone with one of our certified guides. Every booking made directly with the cooperative stays with the families who care for this land.
Meet the Maya Cooperative Behind Your Visit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TO DO Award?
It is the International Contest for Socially Responsible Tourism, organised since 1995 by the Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung in Germany. It recognises initiatives where local people participate in and decide on hospitality in their own territory.
When will the winners of the TO DO Award 2027 be announced?
The final decision is expected in early 2027, and the winners are honoured at ITB Berlin.
Who runs Community Tours Sian Ka’an?
We are a 100% Maya, community-based cooperative from Muyil, Quintana Roo, welcoming visitors to Sian Ka’an for more than 25 years. You can book directly with us online.
Questions? Contact us at reservacionesctsk@siankaantours.com.mx or WhatsApp +52 984 114 0750