Maya Traditions Journal > Tourism

Meet Our New Partners–The Thread Caravan!

Posted by on April 30, 2015

We are excited to announce a new partnership with The Thread Caravan, a business that will offer art workshops around the world. By participating, individuals learn about traditional craft production, while also experiencing scenery and adventures unique to each destination. The first destination is Guatemala, where participants will learn the art of backstrap weaving with our artisans at Maya Traditions Foundation. Here, founder Caitlin Ahern shares a bit about The Thread Caravan:   Hi, I’m Caitlin, an artist with a passion for travel and helping others. I’m merging these interests by creating The Thread Caravan. Our comprehensive travel packages take participants to different communities around the

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Meet Laura, Our New Community Tourism Coordinator!

Posted by on April 21, 2015

Hello!  My name is Laura Gehring, and I am proud to be the newest addition to the Maya Traditions’ team.  I will be working as the Coordinator of Community Tourism, which means I will have the huge honor of bringing visitors out into the field to see our programs and artisans in action.  Visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture of the region through visiting Maya Traditions’ Organic Medicinal Herb Garden in Panajachel and the surrounding communities where our collaborating cooperatives are located. At the Garden, visitors are free to look, touch, and taste the plants as

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Celebrating Semana Santa in Guatemala

Posted by on March 31, 2015

Semana Santa, also known as the Holy Week leading up to Easter, is celebrated each year in Guatemala with processions, parades, and alfombras—traditional ‘carpets’ made out of sawdust, fruits, flowers, and vegetables in the streets where processions will soon pass. In Guatemala, Semana Santa exists as a fusion between Catholicism and Maya culture–a truly rich and unique experience for those able to visit this beautiful country we call home during this time. We’ve asked our artisan partners, their children, and the Maya Traditions’ team how they’re celebrating Semana Santa. ‘For Semana Santa, I make bread to share with our family.

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Empowering Artisans & Healers Through Tourism

Posted by on February 09, 2015

Maya Traditions Foundation has been partnering with local NGO Entremundos to further develop and strengthen our Community Tourism Program. According to the First Principle of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), a Fair Trade Organization must focus on creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers. Our workshop series with Entremundos does just that, further providing economic generating activities for our artisans and healers. Through our connection with Entremundos, our artisans and healers learned how to create a business plan, administer a basic community tourism plan, and how to treat visitors, whatever the cultural differences may be. The ultimate objective of this

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