Propuesta de planificación turística para el municipio de San Martín Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango 2025 - 2028

Abstract

Guatemala posee una ubicación geográfica privilegiada y una riqueza natural, cultural e histórica que la hacen competitiva en turismo. En 2024, recibió más de tres millones de turistas, evidenciando la necesidad de una planificación turística adecuada, ausente durante la pandemia de Covid-19. Países con planes estratégicos se recuperaron más rápido. El Plan Maestro de Turismo Sostenible 2015-2025 y el Plan Estratégico de Turismo Rural y Comunitario resaltan la importancia de la planificación local para el desarrollo turístico sostenible. Chimaltenango, con planificación desactualizada, requiere atención, especialmente San Martín Jilotepeque, que posee potencial turístico (sitio arqueológico Chuwa Nima’ab’äj y atractivos culturales/naturales) pero carece de planificación y perspectiva. Se propone un plan turístico municipal para San Martín Jilotepeque que impulse el turismo de manera estratégica y sostenible, alineado con planes locales y el Plan K’atun 2032, para lograr desarrollo competitivo y optimizar recursos.

Guatemala has an exceptional geographical location and considerable natural, cultural, and historical wealth that makes it competitive in the tourism sector. In 2024, it welcomed more than three million non-resident tourists, which is encouraging after the decline caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which exposed the lack of adequate tourism planning and hindered the sector's recovery. In contrast, countries that did have strategic planning in place recovered more quickly. The 2015-2025 Sustainable Tourism Master Plan underscores Guatemala's potential and emphasizes the importance of establishing sustainable tourism through strategic planning that prioritizes, diversifies, and coordinates the sector's efforts. Likewise, the Strategic Plan for Rural and Community Tourism suggests initiating planning from the local level to the national level, incorporating quantitative and qualitative information for sound decision-making. In this regard, Chimaltenango needs attention, as its tourism planning has been outdated since 2007 and lacks specific coverage for each municipality. This is the case of San Martín Jilotepeque, a municipality notable for its tourism potential, as evidenced by the Chuwa Nima'ab'äj (Mixco viejo) archaeological site and its diverse cultural and natural attractions. However, tourism growth is restricted by a lack of planning and foresight. It suggest developing a municipal tourism plan for San Martín Jilotepeque to serve as a foundation for promoting tourism in a strategic, sustainable manner, consistent with current local plans. According to Plan K'atun 2032, this type of planning is essential for achieving competitive development, reducing adverse impacts, and optimizing the use of tourism resources.