Yaxha National Park Tourism Enterprises

Capstone paper for the fulfillment of the Master of Development Practice degree.In order to understand the current work of ASODESTY and its partner, Rainforest Alliance, it is important to situate it within a broader context. Roughly translated as the “land of forests” in one of the ancient Maya languages, Guatemala is located in central America bordering Mexico, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras, and the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Today, the country is inhabited by more than 16 million people and is considered the most populated country in Central America, covering 42,042 square miles. The country has a robust manufacturing sector and is a travel destination for many due primarily to its culture and the existence of pre-Columbian archaeological sites of the Maya civilization, making tourism the second largest earner of foreign exchange. According to the CIA World Factbook, unequal income distribution has led to high inequality in Guatemala where the richest 20% of the population own more than 51% of the wealth and more than half of the population lives below the poverty line. Like other nations with comparable histories of colonization, civil conflicts and volatile governments, the people of Guatemala suffer from a wealth disparity. Poverty in Guatemala has been one of the highest in the Americas and has driven a dark, protracted history of civil conflict, food and livelihood insecurity, as well as deforestation and land degradation. This dark past and Guatemala’s goals for a sustainable future have guided the recent passage of laws protecting the rich biodiversity of the nation, as well as creating economic and social development opportunities for the people