Sandos Aims To Benefit Mayan Communities
The Sandos Caracol Eco Club has been working with the Xyaat organization in various programs to benefit the communities of the beautiful Zona Maya area. This region is filled with Mayan towns just a short distance from our Riviera Maya resorts. The Xyaat organization began in the traditional Mayan village of Señor and works to promote the Mayan culture throughout the Riviera Maya in order to benefit the local community while showing tourists how modern day Mayans live.
Supporting the Local Mayan Community
In the past year, Xyaat and Sandos Caracol have collaborated in the following programs:
1. Point of sale for eco tours
We provide Xyaat with a place to sell their eco tours at our resort. Our Eco Club staff also promotes Xyaat during the resort’s eco tours so guests can stop by with Xyaat after the tour.
This program has benefitted 25 families in the Mayan community, helping 50 children from low income homes to continue their education thanks to a 25% increase in sales. It has also benefitted 6 ecotourism cooperatives in the Zona Maya area.
2. Mystical experiences
Xyaat has supported Sandos by performing traditional ceremonies by local Mayan groups, with 3 beautiful ceremonies to showcase the culture and share the religion and traditions of the Zona Maya.
These experiences resulted in $45,000 pesos for Xyaat, creating direct and indirect employment for women, youth and seniors.
3. Donation program
The Sandos Eco Club donates a variety of items and school supplies for Xyaat to distribute among the low income families of local Mayan communities. We have also donated didactic materials to strengthen the eco programs created by Xyaat.
Thanks to the Sandos Eco Club, Mayan towns have received 4,500 donated items (sheets, cribs, beds, etc) and 600 school supplies, benefitting 300 families.
4. Handicraft stands
With a handicraft stand at the resort, Xyaat has the opportunity to commercialize handicrafts created by local communities and sell them directly to Sandos guests.
At Sandos Caracol, we hosted a handicraft market where 50 artisans sold their products for 2 days, resulting in $28,000 pesos for Mayan communities.
On behalf of Sandos, we thank Xyaat for spreading the word about the beauty of the Mayan community and teaching us and our guests everything about the local culture through these fascinating programs.
