Mérida, Yucatán — Yucatán’s tourism authority has agreed to promote certified tour guides, expand their training opportunities and integrate them into the state’s tourism marketing efforts, officials said.
The Secretariat of Tourism Development (Sefotur) held a dialogue with members of the Yucatán Tourist Guides Cooperative A.C., led by its president, José Francisco González Hernández, to address the group’s concerns and build strategies to strengthen their work.
Sefotur head Darío Flota Ocampo listened to the challenges the guides face when attending visitors and reiterated that the Maya Renaissance government of Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena remains open to coordinated actions supporting the tourism sector.
As a result of the meeting, Sefotur agreed to promote the hiring of certified guides through its social media channels and later at its tourist information modules at Mérida International Airport, Progreso Pier, the Government Palace and temporary modules set up at major events. The goal is to encourage professionalization of tourism services and provide visitors with more reliable, higher-quality experiences.
Sefotur also will link cooperative members with the Comprehensive Tourism Training and Competitiveness Program (Picct) and connect them with the Secretariat of Economy and Labor (SETY) to explore opportunities for professional and economic development.
As an immediate step, Flota Ocampo announced that Sefotur’s Public Relations Department under the Deputy Ministry of Tourism Promotion will prioritize hiring certified guides from the cooperative for special groups, including familiarization trips with tour operators, travel agencies, specialized media and tourism-focused content creators.
González Hernández acknowledged Sefotur’s willingness to listen and proposed that certified guides help train staff in Sefotur’s Public Relations and Tourism Promotion areas, sharing their knowledge of the destination and visitor preferences.
