Local Video
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| Group gets feedback on Maltrata tourism |
By: ARIEL EMERY, News Editor
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Posted: Friday, September 19, 2008 10:19 pm
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About half of international tourists would prefer to travel off the beaten path if they had the choice, says Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin.
They would interact with the average Tom, Dick and Harry.
They would eat what Tom, Dick and Harry do.
They would build an understanding of how Tom, Dick and Harry live and take that back to their own country.
So why not give tourists that choice, and at the same time leverage a connection between two cities thousands of miles apart?
That’s the plan of the Rural Enterprise Center, formerly the Latino Enterprise Center.
Haslett-Marroquin and colleague Celina Celis Carrera met with business and community leaders last Friday morning to gather feedback on a potential business they’re calling Turiventures.
The community-based tourism company would offer to travelers initially from Northfield and the surrounding area an inside look at Maltrata, Mexico — a city of 17,000 in the mountains of the southern part of the country.
Roughly 60 percent of Latinos living in Northfield come from the states of Veracruz and Puebla, says Haslett-Marroquin. And of that 60 percent, half are natives of Maltrata. Among them is Celis, a graduate of Northfield High School and currently a student at Rochester Community College.
A tourism connection with Maltrata would be “logical” and benefit both areas, Haslett-Marroquin believes. Northfield would benefit from an intimate knowledge of the native culture of many of its residents; Maltrata, a city lacking in job opportunities, would benefit financially in addition to the cultural connection. In fact, the vacant homes of those currently working in Northfield and other American cities may serve as lodging for the tourists.
Turiventures would arrange customized trips to the Veracruz region for groups of all kinds interested in cultural, historical, recreational and environmental activities. In particular, Celis noted the opportunities for hiking in the mountains; visits and service in a reforestation project; and observation of a local volcano. Marketing would primarily be covered from the Northfield office; logistics and detailed scheduling would be handled from an office in Maltrata, with future staff already identified.
The half-dozen leaders in attendance at Friday’s meeting in part provided the duo with ideas for marketing their project. They mentioned targeting hiking clubs and mission groups, and university programs for archaeological, anthropological and environmental studies. Leaders also gave feedback on what they could see as travelers’ concerns.
“I think the idea has potential,” said the Rev. Denny Dempsey of the Church of St. Dominic, who has visited Maltrata there times. “If people are looking for a vacation and not just going to an Acapaulco or a Mazatlan, actually get in a situation where people live, this is just a marvelous thing.”
In particular, Dempsey said, Turiventures would give travelers peace of mind in terms of personal security and food and water safety.
“It’s the Latin American experience,” he said, “but yet you’re 30 minutes away from a city of 150,000.”
— Ariel Emery can be reached at aemery@northfieldnews.com or 645-1115. |
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