Community-Based Tourism | Authentically Experience Communities Surrounding Antigua Guatemala
By guest writer: Cecilia Diaz, Marketing and Communications Manager at De La Gente
Have you heard of the words “community-based tourism” but are not exactly sure of what they mean or why is it becoming a thing? In this post, I will give you a description of what it is and how De La Gente is echoing their mission of creating economic opportunities for coffee producing communities in Guatemala by using their Community Tourism and Immersion Programs as weapons.
What is Community-Based Tourism?
Community-based tourism wouldn’t exist without the craft, people, beliefs, and essence of a community. It wouldn’t exist without a special something that draws visitors attention to it.
According to the United Nations, Community- Based Tourism (CBT) is “a tourism management model that put local communities at the centre of the process.”
We could say that community-based tourism is a travel experience that will increase the visitors' awareness and knowledge. Whether that be culturally, technically, or ethically, in exchange for that knowledge, the communities are able to generate an alternative income and, ideally, will lead to community development.
How is Community-Based Tourism Related to De La Gente?
De La Gente’s story began with seven coffee producers who were willing to invite foreigners to their plots and houses to showcase their hard work, market their coffee and educate those visitors about paying fair prices. That is how the idea of the coffee tours was born in 2014.
Nowadays, De La Gente is proud to say that thousands of tourists have joined their signature Coffee Tour in Antigua, and commercialize the coffee of more than 140 coffee producers from four different coffee growing communities in Guatemala.
De La Gente’s Community Tourism Program
Now, get ready for the good stuff.
Most people are familiar with the idea of buying a bag of roasted coffee beans or sitting at a cafe on a Thursday morning, but have you ever thought about the work and knowledge a cup of coffee takes?
De La Gente, along with the members of the communities with whom they work, have designed experiences that will enrich both the visitors and the hosts. They have worked together to make sure that every experience is authentic and portrays the reality behind a single cup of coffee, because coffee farmers are often overlooked in the coffee chain.
From planting a seed, harvesting the ripened coffee cherries after years of tending to and maintaining the fields, to processing those cherries until they become those aromatic coffee beans you are likely familiar with. Believe this, after meeting the coffee farmers and living the process first-hand, a cup of coffee takes a whole new meaning. A life-changing experience indeed.
The De La Gente Community Tourism Program operates within the community of San Miguel Escobar, located at the base of Agua Volcano (about 15 minutes from Antigua, Guatemala). In order to create a more inclusive impact in this community, they not only take into consideration the coffee producers from their partner coffee cooperatives but other community members with other talents by offering a Pepián Cooking Class and a Peanut Butter workshop.
Why you Should Include More Community-Based Tourism Experiences in Your Travels?
As I mentioned, community-based tourism is about experiences led by local communities that will create an authentic exchange between visitor and host. This is not only a knowledge exchange, but it will also provide an alternative income to the communities that will lead to intellectual and infrastructural development.
Including more community-based tourism activities gives every community member involved an opportunity to showcase their work, talent, and cultural heritage. You could trigger an impact in the life of a coffee farmer and his/her family by spending a few hours of your journey to open up to a new experience!
You can also contribute to providing another source of income to the members of the cooperative and their families. An income that the families will use for food, education, healthcare, and of course, to take care of their fields to continue expanding their possibilities of selling their coffee as specialty coffee from the Antigua coffee growing region.
Francisca is a woman from the community of San Miguel Escobar, a mother of four, and one of the instructors from the Pepián Cooking Class. She grew up working in her family's coffee fields, but as the years went by, she began to suffer from high blood sugar which made it harder to continue working in the fields. Nowadays, she oversees the wet milling process of the coffee from her house ensuring high quality coffee.
If you enjoyed what you just read and share the love for Guatemalan coffee, spread the word to your friends and family about the importance of supporting community-based tourism. If you are traveling in big groups or have any questions, contact the tourism office at tours@dlgcoffee.org, or if you are looking for 7-day trips for colleagues and coworkers, friends, families, and any coffee enthusiasts with an interest in coffee processing, engaging with producers, and learning about Guatemalan history and culture, take a look at De La Gente’s Immersion Trips.