Authentic, Culturally Appropriate and Unique Tourism: Does it exist?

We were having dinner with Ian, one of the owners of Ka’ana, a luxury spa resort in the Cayo District of Belize. He was talking about his vision of transforming not only the food, but every detail—to the tours offered (more culture, less glitz), to food sourcing (think local), to community involvement (replanting an important area), even to the type of soaps they offer to their customers—to become not just a fancy spa resort that attracts well-heeled foreigners (although that is the intent) but to actually define the authentic Belizean experience.

He used those words again and again, “Authentic, culturally appropriate and unique” and it’s hard not to share his excitement. One of the things that had disappointed me in my first visit to Belize, eight months prior, was the distinct lack of “Belizean” flavor. Of course, I had spent my time on Caye Caulker, not exactly the least touristy place available, but when I went into restaurants, it was more American/Italian/French food and none of those local dishes I had hoped to find. The activities were mainly water sports. I had come from Guatemala, where you lived the culture, to Belize, where they produced this tourist experience for you.

This time, at Ka’ana, we ate cochinita pibil tacos, a pulled pork taco with spicy sauce and pico de gallo. It was the first time I had anything in Belize that I couldn’t find back home. There were no expat waiters, nearly everyone seemed (at least to my eyes) to be local. As Ian described his long term plans, I wondered… is this type of tourism possible? Can you have 500 thread count sheets and learn how to make Mayan chocolate, like you would if you stayed with a local family? Can you spend the day at the spa, but know that the products used support local businesses and profits are helping to restore a forest?

As an independent traveler, these values appeal to me, but would someone paying full price for the Ka’ana experience want something more than to be rubbed down and pampered?

Is the only way to go “authentic” to forgo comfort? Can luxury and culturally appropriate go hand in hand?

After the tacos, I had the sere, a coconut based soup with plantains and fresh fish. I was taking notes about the food. I was listening carefully to Ian. I love the idea of it, to give people both worlds. In a few years, I’ll have to check in with the folks at Ka’ana to see how it has worked out.

Right now they’re offering a 2012 doomsday package (visit now and visit again in 2012 when the Mayan calendar runs out) which includes: “The immersion into the Mayan culture will include intimate interactions with the people of a village in Southern Belize. Guests will become familiar with the age-old practices of washing clothes in a local river, cooking a meal on an open fire hearth, learning to play the Marimba or Mayan harp, tribal dancing, basket making, and story-telling with a village elder.”  How many luxury hotels offer packages like that?

If it works and gets adopted by others, can you imagine? Instead of San Pedro being a smaller version of Cancun, you’d have the families learning about Mayan culture and reef ecology. Luxury hotels would focus on products produced locally. The best way to make money wouldn’t be to sell knick-knacks on the beach, but to become an artesian.

Truly, it would define sustainable tourism.

I’m curious, have any of you seen this model in action?  Any ideas about how well this works, or what it takes to be successful and local?

(Disclosure: I didn’t pay for my stay at Ka’ana, I was a guest of the Belize Tourism Board as part of last week’s blogger trip)