THINK BIG by HBX Group:  Empowering Rural Communities trough  Sustainable Tourism  

At HBX Group, we believe that tourism can be much more than just an economic activity; it can be a driver of social and environmental change.

With this vision in mind, we have created Think Big, a project aimed at collaborating with rural communities in the creation or improvement of sustainable and responsible tourism products. Since its launch in October 2023, Think Big has focused its efforts on transforming micro-tourism destinations, starting as a pilot project with the Mayan communities of Quintana Roo (Mexico), promoting the desentralisation of mass tourism towards alternative and more sustainable routes. 

We work alongside communities to create positive social impacts, improving their quality of life and helping to prevent depopulation. Our efforts focus on promoting environmental awareness and preserving cultural traditions and natural resources. This approach allows us to maximise the benefits of tourism while protecting each community's cultural identity.

Community tourism in Quintana Roo has been a longstanding practice, showcasing local culture and landscapes. However, these communities often face challenges in reaching wider audiences. This is where Think big comes into play: supporting the development of their services, increasing digital visibility, and building connections to enhance their appeal as sustainable destinations.  

This project blends technology with social responsibility, using digital tools to help manage and promote tourism routes in a sustainable way. 

Project objectives:

The success of Think Big relies on the commitment of HBX Group volunteers, who contribute their expertise and knowledge to the communities both in person and remotely. The project is structured in a hybrid model that includes two in-person working groups and two online phases. This ensures continuous and adaptive support, allowing communities to benefit from direct interaction with volunteers while receiving training and developing digital tools.  

Active collaboration with communities is a fundamental pillar of the project. We work hand in hand with them to identify their needs and aspirations, ensuring that our initiatives align with their objectives and that they help them manage their tourism offerings independently in the future.   

Think Big has developed several key initiatives, including: 

• Enhancing the online presence of communities to attract more visitors.  
• Implementing technological platforms that enable cooperatives to manage their services autonomously.
• Training focused on promoting quality tourism that respects cultural traditions and the environment.  

• On-site volunteering: Since the start of the project, 10 employees have worked on-site, accumulating more than 400 hours of work. Their contributions have been crucial and include the creation of experience catalogues, training in digital tools such as social media and editing online catalogues, developing sustainability standards for local cooperatives, calculating the carrying capacity of communities to manage the increase in tourists, and creating signage on good environmental practices. 
• Online volunteering: In addition, 8 volunteers have participated in the online phase, contributing 217 hours doing tasks such as creating a promotional catalogue to highlight community-based tourism, developing an interactive map to connect cooperatives with customers and developing a corporate website to facilitate access to digital bookings and payments.
•  In a few months, the next in-person phase will take place, continuing this approach that maximises the impact of volunteering in rural communities. At the same time, the virtual volunteering team will develop a social media guide and launch the new website with a reservation system for the cooperatives.   

Following the success of the pilot project in Quintana Roo, Think Big is preparing to expand its efforts to new communities in various parts of the world.

Our aim is to replicate the model of collaboration and sustainability developed in Mexico in locations such as India and Indonesia, where the rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes offer great potential for responsible tourism.  With this approach, we aim to create a real impact in the communities, ensuring that tourism benefits both visitors and the residents of these areas.