Chunhuhub Community Tourism Project Wins Top Award at WTM Latin America

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo — A community tourism project from the Maya town of Chunhuhub has won a major international award, marking a historic achievement for community-based travel in Mexico.

Members of the ecotourism group “Kíichpam K’áax Exotourism Center” from Chunhuhub, located in the Felipe Carrillo Puerto municipality, were selected as winners at the WTM Latin America travel trade show in São Paulo, Brazil. The event is considered a leading industry gathering for Latin America.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto Mayor Mary Hernández celebrated the win, calling it a “distinctive historical moment for Quintana Roo and Mexico.”

“From Chunhuhub to the world,” Hernández said. “I congratulate the people of Felipe Carrillo Puerto who made this distinction possible with their dedication and years of effort as a community, always demonstrating that culture is built under a community tourism model.”

The association was a finalist for the sixth annual responsible tourism prize at the event. The award recognizes the growth of community tourism supported by what officials call the “Fourth Transformation” governments of President Claudia Sheinbaum, Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama, and Mayor Hernández.

Kíichpam K’áax, which means “Beautiful Jungle,” is described not just as a project but as the result of collective effort from families, collaborators, and allies who believe in a more just, responsible, and identity-driven form of tourism.

The achievement is also credited as part of the collaborative work within the Maya Ka’an Travel network, demonstrating that community tourism in Quintana Roo’s Maya Zone is an inspiring and transformative reality.