Project Description
Full title: The development and implications of Mexico’s new tourism train route on Mayan cultural heritage: An analysis on the ways in which development of the Mayan Train project impacts the Maya indigenous people in Mexico
This study aims at revealing the ways in which the development of the new Mayan Train project could possibly impact the Maya indigenous people and their cultural heritage in Mexico. Taking the aspects of human rights, cultural heritage and the tourism industry into consideration, the research aims at finding out whether the new Mayan train in Mexico will be beneficial for the Maya’s in practice and what procedure has led up to the making of this project. A conceptual framework is provided to guide the reader in the perspective of the research and how terms are defined and represented. There is an analysis and evaluation of the academic literature, official Tren Maya website, and interviews with two organizations on an international and local scale. These analyses were conducted to find out the differences between what has been written, what has been said, and what has been done in practice during the development of the Mayan Train. The relevance of this study lies in the visibility and impact of the project, and the fact that Mexico’s indigenous people have struggled with numerous injustices in the past. Conclusions found that future research is encouraged to involve all genders during meaningful consultations and show adequate respect towards indigenous communities in the development of tourism projects.
Author: V. Termaat (2022)
