One of the most symbolic stops is San Juan del Obispo, a small town in Sacatepéquez that in 2024 received the Best Tourism Villages recognition awarded by the organisation itself. The accolade distinguishes rural communities that preserve their cultural and natural values and use tourism as a tool to improve residents' wellbeing. The visit will show at first hand what effect the distinction has had on daily life, on the creation of small businesses and on neighbours' sense of pride.
Guatemala has chosen to bet on an authentic, competitive and sustainable offer in which communities are not mere spectators but protagonists, and in which natural and cultural heritage provides the foundation. That philosophy fits the global trend toward community-based tourism, a model in which the people of a territory run or directly take part in the experiences offered to visitors, from family guesthouses and craft workshops to food routes, guided walks and conservation activities.
Interest in this kind of proposal is growing as travellers look for meaningful experiences, real contact with local people and a positive impact on the places they visit. For destinations, community tourism offers a way to spread income more fairly, diversify the rural economy, slow the departure of young people and strengthen pride in their own traditions. For businesses, it is a chance to differentiate their product in a market where competition for the customer's attention grows ever fiercer.
For international travellers, the community experience comes down to something as simple as sharing a meal prepared with local ingredients, learning a traditional craft from the person who practises it, or crossing a landscape with a guide from the area. These are experiences hard to replicate in a large resort and which, when well managed, create lasting memories and word-of-mouth recommendations.
The presence of UN Tourism's top official also sends a message of institutional support for Guatemalan initiatives and may open the door to new technical collaboration, training programmes and funding channels. Experts remind us, however, that the success of such projects depends on very specific factors: training for local entrepreneurs, access to marketing channels, basic infrastructure, security and governance that involves the communities themselves in decision-making.
Observers also point out that tourism's contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals is most visible precisely in places like these, where a modest flow of well-informed visitors can support schools, cultural festivals and the protection of local ecosystems. The challenge is to grow without losing the authenticity that made the village attractive in the first place.
In a year marked by geopolitical uncertainty and a slowdown in global growth, the visit takes on added value. Destinations that manage to combine identity, sustainability and local participation will be better prepared to withstand crises and to offer an experience that cannot easily be copied. Guatemala wants to show that its cultural and natural wealth, managed alongside those who live in it, can become a lasting competitive advantage for the whole country.
