April 16, 2007— Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, the Maya ruins of Copan in Honduras form one of the most impressive archaeological sites along the “Maya Circuit.” The “hieroglyphic stairway” at Copan includes the longest single glyphic text found at any Maya site. The ruins, with their rich stone sculptures and intricate hieroglyphs, are the most popular tourist attraction in Honduras. Although the increase in tourism has helped bring prosperity to Honduras, the Department of Copan, where the ruins are located, continues to rank among the poorest in the country. The average illiteracy rate in Copan is 49 percent, malnutrition is 55 percent, and 75 percent of households have unmet basic needs. On top of this, exclusive relations between tour operators, hotels, and airlines have enabled them to retain almost 70 percent of all regional tourist revenues, limiting opportunities for smaller, local enterprises to enter the sector. Since 2003, the World Bank has been helping to develop sustainable tourism in the Copan site and surrounding areas through the Regional Development in the Copan Valley Project. The project, financed by a U$12 million credit from the International Development Association, is based on a holistic vision of pro-poor, community-based tourism, and regional cultural development. The central aim is to benefit local residents and strengthen local institutions.  | | Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, the Maya ruins of Copan in Honduras form one of the most impressive archaeological sites along the “Maya Circuit.” |
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The Copan Valley project builds upon lessons and ideas from previous cultural development activities financed by the PROFUTURO and GENFUND programs in Copan. These programs clearly identified the socio-economic needs of the Copan Valley, its natural and cultural assets, and target areas for the project. In February 2003, to help prepare the Copan Valley project, the World Bank invited all the relevant partner organizations to participate in a two-day meeting to review and discuss project objectives, components, activities, and risks. Over 30 representatives attended from the Ministries of Tourism, Culture, Finance, Arts, Natural Resources, Environment, and Sports; the National Institute of Archaeology (IHAH); the Department of Protected Areas; and Asociación Copan, a local NGO dedicated to cultural heritage preservation. The project aims to develop sustainable tourism based on the cultural and natural heritage of the Copan Valley and surrounding areas through: a) creation of an Archeological Tourism Circuit integrating five archeological parks/sites;
b) ecologically sustainable management of the parks/sites;
c) capacity development for staff involved in park/site conservation;
d) strategic planning for local development and urban management;
e) access to training and technical assistance for products and services provided by locally-owned enterprises; and
f) institutional strengthening to develop local capacity to manage cultural heritage. Specific activities financed by the project in Copan include:  | | The project aims to develop sustainable tourism based on the cultural and natural heritage of the Copan Valley and surrounding areas. (Maya Village) |
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preparation of a management plan for all five parks and sites targeted by the project; key conservation work at the Copan site, including work to preserve the access tunnels to the Rosalila Temple, sculptures, and glyphs; sites signage; rehabilitation of the Archeological Museum and the Research Center of Copan; expansion of the Casa K’inich, an interactive museum for children; construction of a replica of a Maya village from the 8th century A.D.
Outside Copan, the project has financed the conservation and development of other cultural heritage sites, including Los Naranjos archeological site and the Pico Bonito National Park. By August 2006, three years after the project was launched, job creation in the Copan Valley had increased by 18 percent, benefiting particularly women and local artisans (the project team had predicted a 5 percent increase). Additionally, family revenues of project beneficiaries almost doubled. The Fondo Prosperidad, a fund created by the project, financed 69 new tourism entrepreneurships (out of 500 applications), benefiting more than 1,650 people directly and an estimated 25,000 people indirectly. 
| | Outside Copan, the project has financed the conservation and development of other cultural heritage sites, including Los Naranjos archeological site and the Pico Bonito National Park.(Maya Vegetable Garden) |
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The benefits do not stop there. Thanks to this project, the management capacity of the Municipality of Copan Ruinas has been strengthened through the establishment of an Urban Planning Bureau and a Municipal Tourism Unit. These bodies have helped to refine and enforce critical urban development and management norms, as well as regulations for construction licensing, heritage protection, traffic, street commercialization, environmental conservation (including solid waste management and creeks protection), cadastre, street naming, and color and signage standards. In two years, this support has helped give Copan Ruinas a brand new image while expanding income generation opportunities for its poor inhabitants and increasing their sense of local heritage and distinctiveness.
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