Top 10 Moments in Social Media

AMIPCI

The Mexican Association of Interent (AMIPCI) Recognizes the best in Internet in Mexico. AMIPCI held the tenth installment of AMIPCI Awards 2012, which recognized the Experiencias Xcaret Group as the best in social networking strategy. The AMIPCI received 220 applicants.

#TriatlonXelHa

Thanks to you, we were national trending topic with the hashtag #TriatlonXelHa. The TT are keywords that make up the top 10  topics appearing in the Twitter search and a hint of what is being talked about. The Triathlon Xel-Há took place on November 17 and 18th. The Triathlon forms part of the National Series.

CNN Expansión

The CNN Expansión Awards recognizes the best of e-Business in 11 categories. In its first edition, 140 projects were nominated. For two weeks, the jury chose the top 3 in each category. Experiencias Xcaret Group was one of the nominees in the category of Tourism as the Best e-Business. Thank you for the nomination.

#Tortugatón | The Tortugatón Ends with a Total of $52,505 pesos

Social Media Community in Xel-Ha Raises $ 25.378
After 2 months of your tweets, likes, pins, and check-ins, your social networking activities together totaled $ 25.378 pesos for the sea turtle conservation project with Tortugatón. The Tortugatón ended with a total of $ 52.505 pesos supported by sponsors of Flora, Fauna and Culture (Paradise Beach, Dreams Tulum, Riviera del Sol Hotel, ILTM (International Luxury Travel Mkt) Americas) and thanks to your hard work. We look forward to your support next year.

100,000 Likes on Facebook | Xcaret

With 12.351 publications, 206 albums, and 591 photos at 1 pm on July 6, the Xcaret Facebook business page reached its 100,000 likes, placing it as the number one in Quintana Roo. As a small token of appreciation, Xcaret shared a video from their staff: http://bit.ly/100kXcaret

#TravesiaSagrada | Trend Topic por 3 Días

The Twitter community joins in celebration and support for the 300 oarsmen who crossed the Caribbean Sea on the sixth edition of the Sacred Mayan Journey in Xcaret, an event that recreates one of the oldest traditions of the Maya, the journey made by rowing from the ancient Mayan port of Pole (now Xcaret) to Cuzamil (Cozumel today) to worship the goddess Ixchel. This 2012, the official hashtag # TravesiaSagrada remained trend topic in Benito Juarez for 3 consecutive days.

Festival of Life and Death, A Digital Event

The Festival of Life and Death Traditions is a celebration which aims to ensure the active participation of society, independent artists and artistic groups, integrating the rich cultural diversity and in celebration of the Day of the Dead. This year we managed to collect the highest number of photographs sent by users on channels like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. It was a pleasure to enjoy the 7th Festival of Life and Death Traditions through your eyes.

CocoBongo in Xplor: Where Adventure Meets the Party

The best of the Riviera Maya join forces for a summer party and following Xplor an unforgettable adventure in CocoBongo. Here, the adventure meets the party in a unique experience. The characters of the famous Show CocoBongo venture into the Xplor jungle for a summer adventure.

Premios Telehit | Highest Reach of Brand

Two worlds come together for a spectacular show where music merges with nature in the Telehit Awards. We appreciate your enthusiasm, participation and creativity during our contests to win tickets and during the event. In the history of our social networks, this event had the greatest reach and branding.

Community Begins Xichén Tours

This year we welcomed to our community Xichen Tours that offer excursions to the Mayan world with the quality and service of Experiencias Xcaret. We open our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to be at your service and to share with you this wonderful ancient world. We invite you to follow us.

What was your favorite part of Experiencias Xcaret 2012?

What would you like to see from us in 2013?

Celebrating a New Era in Xcaret

According to Mayan history narrated in the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of Mayan writings, it was not until the third try that the Mayan gods created the men of corn. It is our responsibility to be a new class of men with a sense of renewal.

This new is you, it’s all of us. To commemorate this important date of the Mayan calendar, Xcaret Park celebrates the arrival of a new era.

Visitors leave their wishes for a new era on ribbons of hope. Happiness, love, peace and harmony are just a few of the messages left to a new cycle.

Visitors receive a new era with pure hearts after experiencing and witnessing a Mayan purification ceremony given by the Tihosuco community.

In silence, contemplating the natural beauty of their surroundings, visitors enjoyed a tour of Paradise River, inviting everyone aboard to resume their ties with nature.

Owl Dance. Owls are considered messengers of the lords of death, as recounted in the Popol Vuh, sacred book of the Mayan.

In the Mayan Village, we received a new era with a representation of the New Fire Dance.

Visitors travel to the past with presentations from passages from the Popol Vuh alluding to the creation of man according to the Maya.

Architect Miguel Quintana Pali present at the ceremony cancellation postmark alluding to the Sacred Mayan Journey.

A new era prepares to arrive as visitors are part of a cleansing ceremony by the people of Pole, led by Eduardo Colunga.

The lights illuminate the great ceiba the night of December 21st in the Restaurant La Isla while we received a new era.

The rythms and sounds of the Mayab evoke the gods, giving the new era a fare welcome.

Now we celebrate a new beginning and with it the opportunity to be a better version of ourselves.

How did you celebrate the beginning of a new era?

Zip-Bike in Xel-Há

Zip-bike is a unique journey through nature, surrounded by the most amazing flora and fauna of the region. It is a journey of 600 meters by bike, with a height of 7 meters, and is run by a cable that passes over the jungle, cenotes and mangroves.

Can you imagine being able to fly above the cenotes?

Thanks to the new activity you can enjoy the best view, through the jungle and the caves of Xel-Ha. The Zip-Bike is the best combination between a bicycle and a zip line.

The tour begins when staff aids you in adjusting the equipment and explain the security measures. It’s a smooth ride after that. All you have to do is pedal and enjoy the view.

Pedal at a height of seven meters during a 55-minute journey and discover the wonders of nature. The Zip-Bike is a different way to enjoy Xel-Ha, come to live this new experience and do not stop pedaling!

Ready to try?

Learn more about this activity here: Zip-Bike en Xel-Há

First Flock of Scarlet Macaw Reaches Palenque

A group of 27 of scarlet macaw (Ara macao) born in Xcaret form part of an ambitious release program in the Chiapas jungle, where this species is almost extinct.

Kin and Pixán

My faithful companion Pixán, our companions and I are adjusting to our new home.

Pixán and I are part of the 27 copies of scarlet macaws born in Xcaret that belong to an ambitious program of reintegration into our habitat in the jungle of Chiapas. This is the only place in Mexico where the scarlet macaw lives in its habitat.

Last Friday we made the road trip from Xcaret Park to our new home.

Flying Home

The return to the jungle of Chiapas marks the pinnacle of efforts of more than 18 years of reproduction and growth in order to contribute to the preservation of this species and reverse the deterioration of its population.

Since their arrival in Palenque, the 27 macaws have a process of adaptation to the environment and activities to recognize their food in the wild, identify their natural predators, discover shelter between trees, and finally learn to fly freely.

The scarlet macaws delivered to Palenque are 24 months old, healthy specimens born in the Xcaret breeding program. The delivery of the macaws was led by biologist Rodolfo Raigoza Figueras, Wildlife Manager at Xcaret Park and Gabriela Lara, Coordination of Terrestrial Wildlife at Xcaret.

The macaws were received in Palenque by Dr. Alejandro Estrada, researcher at the Institute of Biology at UNAM, and by the Release Program Coordinator in Chiapas María de Lourdes Silva García, General Director at Aluxes EcoPark. Juan Cornejo, Curatorial Science Fellow (Ornithology) at the Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, served as advisor to the project of the re-insertion of scarlet macaws in the jungle of Chiapas.

The first group precedes two more to arrive in Chiapas during 2013 to complete a group of 60 red macaws that will take as their habitat 50 hectares of park and almost 800 thousand hectares that comprise the National Park of Palenque, located 2 miles from the first.

The release program will be accompanied by an effort to raise awareness among the local population to ensure the viability and protection of these natural areas.

An Endangered Species

Currently, the scarlet macaw, or Ara macao cyanoptera is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 2007), and listed as Endangered Species in the Official Mexican Norm-059 (Official Journal of the Federation, 2010).

This bird is endangered in Mexico not only for the destruction of their habitat, but because of the illegal trade of the macaw. It is estimated that in the wild, its population is no more than 400 macaws. The scarlet macaw is also found in the rainforests of Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and other nations. In Mexico, the largest number of scarlet macaws in the country is located in Xcaret Park.

The Guiness Record for Births

With about 1,000 copies, Xcaret is home to the densest population of macaws in Mexico: 100 couples of reproductive age.

In 2009, the reproduction program reached 113 births, of which 105 are still living. Due to these births, Xcaret was creditor to the Guinness World Record in 2011 for the highest number of macaws bred in one year.

This year, the program closed with 175 macaw births.

Have you visited the aviary in Xcaret?
Have your photo taken with the macaws?

Did you know that the red macaws has only one life partner?
When they choose their partner, they never part.

The cold of the morning when we left Xcaret Park, our home, accompanied us on this journey back to our habitat in Chiapas.

Pixan, my faithful companion, and I form part of the 27 red macaws born in Xcaret as part of a succesful reproduction program that will return to our natural habitat in the Chiapas jungle. My name is Kin, which means sun in Maya. Pixan means soul. We met at Xcaret Park. Our contact with the humans who have cared for us has been minimal so we will be able to return to our habitat and someday be able to survive without their help.

For the ancient Maya, the macaw was a solar bird, we represent the fire of the sun, we communicate the sacredness of the star, bringing its messages, receiving their offerings and announced its departure.

We left at 2 am towards the Eco Park Aluxes in Palenque accompanied by a group of 11 people who are taking care of our return home. I cannot convey the excitement and a little fear we feel about this big step-or flight-we are about to take.

Follow our journey from Twitter via @XcaretPark and the hashtag #FlyingHome

Will you accompany us on this voyage?

The Melipona Bee and the Mayans

In Mayan cosmology, it was believed that Earth was held by four gods: it was the responsibility of the bacabes that the heavenly bodies remain in place forever. The bacab of the east was the honey keeper.

For the Maya, the stingless bee, or Melipona, was and still is considered sacred because its honey is medicinal and regenerative. In Maya, the species is called Xuna’an-Kab, Kolel’Kab o Po’ol-Kab.

The Melipona bee honey has healing properties for treating eye (pterygium, conjunctivitis, cataracts), otic (ear infection), respiratory tract (pharyngitis, laryngitis), intestinal (gastritis, typhoid) and skin (liver spots and solar, skin ulcers) problems.

The honey is also used in ritual drinks like the balché. During pre-Hispanic times, the wax and honey were also export items for their good quality and abundance.

Traditions and Melipona Bee

To protect the hives, the ancient Maya cut the logs that had hundreds of bee nests in tree hollows or jobones and placed them inside their huts.

Although the old method is still practiced today, the tradition and the beauty of the sacred Mayan ritual are disappearing. In an effort to keep these traditions alive, Xel-Ha celebrates the Mayan ritual and the harvest of honey twice a year.

Melipona Bee Ceremony

The Melipona bee ceremony at Xel-Ha is a ceremony to harvest honey. Accompanied by a Maya priest, it is redeemed and instructs the “man who keeps honey” or Xunaan Cab a A ha Muzen Cab, and the “man who guards the hive” Aj Tsiikil Hobon and the lords of the rain and the true God to care for the bees and have plenty of honey.

The Mayan sacred ritual involves cleaning the hives and collect honey during full moons of June and December. The ceremony is performed by a Mayan priest, accompanied by musicians, traditional altars, flowers, and a feast.

An Endangered Species

Melipona bee is endangered because of the destruction of their habitat and more frequent use of the African bee, which produces honey in larger quantities. Central America and Australia are the only regions in the world that houses the Meliponini.

Have you visited the Meliponary in Xel-Ha?

Attractions in the Riviera Maya, a New Adventure Awaits

A new adventure for groups, conventions and conferences is now a reality with the new Xplor at Night. The magic of the jungle and the caves of night promise a unique attraction for adventurers at heart.

The cool, night breeze caresses your face while you fly into the jungle; all you can see in front of you is darkness, and the thrill of flying at night in the ziplines of Xplor Park in the Riviera Maya.

Xplor, the only underground park in the world, now offers a new product designed exclusively for groups where the main attraction is the magic of the jungle of Quintana Roo.

The adventure Park is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm offering adrenaline-filled activities. This new product offers the opportunity to enjoy the activities of the park at night from 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm

The new Xplor at Night was created especially for congresses, conventions and incentive meetings, looking for innovative products that offer unique expressions for groups.

Xplor invites guests to experience an adventure in the jungle, whether in an all terrain, amphibious vehicle or flying through the air on a zipline, enjoying the opportunity to be a true explorer. Complementing this adventure are the majestic caves surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites and underground river that you can cross either by swimming or on a raft.

This new concept is part of a wide range of activities that the Riviera Maya offers its visitors. This is a great choice for nature and adrenaline lovers, a must for groups and conventions.

UNWTO Grants Experiencias Xcaret the Ulysses Award

for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism

In this edition of Ulysses Awards, the Mexican company Experiencias Xcaret was creditor to the award in the category of “Innovation for Business” in which companies from 24 countries participated.

Since 2003, the UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism recognizes tourism initiatives that have contributed to the advancement of tourism through knowledge generation and innovation, in line with the Code of Ethics for Tourism WTO and the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Experiencias Xcaret is the first 100% Mexican company to receive this international award.

Conserving Natural and Cultural Heritage of Mexico

The Experiencias Xcaret Group owns land throughout the Riviera Maya, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, all of which has been turned into eco-archaeological parks that benefit visitors, employees and local community. The longstanding commitment of the Group in sustainable tourism, recreation and social responsibility is often cited as a pioneering example of how tourism can protect the land.

This international success has sparked many positive comments in favor of the Mexican company.

The Executive Director for Competitiveness, External Relations and Partnerships OMT, Márcio Favilla Lucca de Paula, acknowledged the group’s hard work: “It is an example that inspires everyone.”

“The work in sustainable tourism as they do is important and a model for parks around the world” Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UNWTO.

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• Finalists: World Wine and Ecotourism Resorts and Spas, Loisium Hotel, Austria; Chanitata di Fiesta, University of Aruba, Aruba, and Calviá Beach Resorts, Meliá Hotels International, Spain.
• The 2012 Winners from Austria, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico and Spain, received their awards at a ceremony held at UNWTO Istanbul (Turkey).

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Did You Know?

Experiencias Xcaret Group is the oldest member of Mexico in the World Tourism Organization. The group has worked hard year after year to be one of the largest companies worldwide, committed to the environment and providing an excellent environment for its employees and society in general.

For more information of the UNWTO Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism visit: http://know.unwto.org/en/content/unwto-awards-excellence-and-innovation-tourism

How do you support sustainable travel?

Did you know that there is a sea turtle hospital in the Riviera Maya?

Esperanza or Hope is the most spoiled sea turtle in the turtle hospital in Xcaret. She arrived in 2007 after being attacked by two dogs on the beach.

Although Hope was treated in time and with great care affection, her wounds suffered extensive damage which required amputation of both of her frontal fins. Hope is still recovering, but doing very well.

All turtles that come to the hospital are released after being treated, but Hope is a special case. Since she only has two stumps on the front, Hope can not be released into the ocean. She is the darling of the hospital, approaching her protectors to be stroked.

The Rescue and Rehabilitation Center

In 2010, Xcaret was authorized by the Wildlife Department to operate as Rescue and Rehabilitation Center for Sea Turtles. Here, Xcaret caters to all turtles that come to rehabilitate and release.

The team care-givers led by Ana Cecilia Negrete, Veterinarian, developed special techniques such as treating serious injuries through honey, which is a very effective natural antiseptic. The hospital has a specialized health care for turtles that over many years has given exemplary attention to problems of dehydration, injuries attacks by other animals or humans who practice poaching.

Just on October, 22 sea turtles were released into the sea. The hawksbill, loggerhead and White Sea turtle passed their critical stage in the hospital and met the necessary conditions to return to the sea.

Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico

The hospital’s efforts join the program for sea turtle conservation by Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico, the philanthropic arm of Experiencias Xcaret.

Part of the efforts to conserve the species has led to the development of a program that ensures that the sea turtle exceeds the critical stage of the 15 months. Of the nests that are protected every year, an average of 200 copies remains in Xcaret to be kept and fed until they are able to survive in the wild. Then they are released at sea where the chances of becoming adults are much higher.

The conservation program also is responsible for the care of 13 nesting beaches along the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Sea Turtles of Quintana Roo in Numbers

The results obtained so far reveal that efforts are generating good results

From 1996 to July 2012 have been protected:

• 3 leatherback nests
• 13 hawksbill nests
• 23,246 loggerhead nests
• 58,312 turtle nests
• In total, the program has successfully protected 81,574 sea turtle nests.

From 1996 to July 2012 have been released:

• 125 leatherback hatchlings
• 680 hawksbill hatchlings
• 1 million 624,864 loggerhead turtle hatchlings
• 3 million 940,795 turtle hatchlings
• In total, thanks to this program 5 million 566,464 sea turtle hatchlings have been released.

The sea turtle conservation program operates under the responsibility of Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico, Civil Association, philanthropic arm of Experiencias Xcaret which to fund relies on private donations and contributions from the general public, and as the facilities granted by the municipal, state and federal aid.

Xel-Ha’s Social Media Community Raises $25.378

After 2 months of your tweets, likes, pins, and check-ins, your social media activities together have totaled $25.378 pesos for the marine turtle conservation project with the Tortugatón campaign.

There was also a donation of sponsors, who gathered $27.127 pesos for the sea turtle program of Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico, the philanthropic arm of Experiencias Xcaret.

We appreciate the support of the following Sponsors:

• Playa Paradise, Dreams Tulum, Riviera del Sol Hotel, ILTM (International Luxury Travel Mkt) Américas

In total the Tortugatón campaign collected $52.505 pesos.
Thanks to everyone who made this miracle possible!

Where do the donations go?

“Adopt a turtle caregiver, and he will take care of the turtles.”

- Alejandro Arenas, Director of Sea Turtle Conservation

The total money raised from the campaign will go to scholarships for the volunteers at turtle camps; these caretakers make possible the miracle of survival. The volunteers will ensure that the process of nesting and hatching is as natural as possible while caring for turtles from predators-both natural and man. Their work is voluntary.

The conservation program cares for 13 beaches along the Yucatan Peninsula. The program is 30 years old and 10 years in charge of Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico.

Your actions make a difference

Meet and spread our projects with more people.
We tell you how: alianzas@florafaunaycultura.org
Participate as a volunteer in our programs.