In September 2017 staff from the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and the Selva Maya Programme were invited to the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park (PNYNN), in Peten Guatemala, to meet with members of the Association for the Sustainable Development of the Yaxha Territory (ASODESTY). The objective was to present the certification initiatives that are carried out in both regions, as well as to share information, tools, results, good practices and learned lessons.

The Sello Q is a certificate issued through the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT), which seeks to improve the quality and sustainability standards of tourism companies. In this sense, ASODESTY (a second level structure that brings together fourteen associations providing tourism services) and the PNYNN were selected to implement, at a pilot level, a Quality Control System of the Park as a touristic destination. This Quality Control System includes the standards of INGUAT as well as criteria for the sustainability of natural resources and ethical principles of tourism.

The Sello Colectivo Calakmul is granted to companies in the municipality of Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico, that perform their internal processes under the following criteria of sustainability: Governance, Local Economy and Environmental Stewardship. The purpose is to contribute in the construction of the commercial and tourist identity of Calakmul, adding value to the region’s products.

Participants agreed to continue strengthening the processes in both countries and expressed their interest in maintaining communication to share the best practices for the certification of social groups and companies. In the future, a distinctive could be generated that distinguishes products and services from the Selva Maya, thus achieving greater visibility of the region.