A/78/162 and product development investment projects, along with community and entrepreneurship preparedness initiatives. Indigenous Peoples have come together to host their own Olympic-like sporting events. In 2015, the first World Indigenous Games was held in Brazil, drawing 2,000 Indigenous athletes from 22 countries. The event served as an inspiration for Indigenous Peoples to exercise their right to self determination through sports and traditional games, build more peaceful relations and safeguard cultural heritage. 107 Similarly, at a regional level, the North American Indigenous Games brings together hundreds of Indigenous Nations throughout the Americas to celebrate, share and reconnect through sport and culture. 108 65. Individual Indigenous communities are also managing their own tourism ventures. In Mexico, there are at least 95 examples of tourist sites with high natural, cultural and historical value that are managed by Indigenous Peoples according to their legal systems, allowing them to preserve, transmit and share their knowledge and heritage. 109 The Peninsular Alliance for Community Tourism in Mexico aims to strengthen tourism by collaborating with 270 partners of Indigenous Peoples and rural communities in the Yucatan Peninsula. In Oaxaca, the Copalita Trail is owned by Zapotec farmers and the Indigenous Peoples of Sierra Sur. Through educational excursions, they incorporate the value of protecting biodiversity and clean waters in their territories. In the State of Morelos, Indigenous Peoples manage the Forest of Blue Mushrooms ecotourism centre, which focuses on preserving the knowledge and culture of the region. The Comca’ac Seris people of Sonora are developing an ecotourism project aimed at sharing their traditional fishing practices, customs, foods and knowledge about important sites in their territories. 110 The projects “Mun-Ha Chac Lol” in the State of Yucatan and the “Raíz de Futuro” in the municipality of Calakmul, Campeche are Indigenous-led tourism initiatives that rely on universities to analyse community needs to implement good practices in tourism. 111 66. The Kichwa Añangu Indigenous Peoples of Ecuador have been engaged in ecotourism in Yasuní National Park since 1998. The community created the Napo Wildlife Center, reported to be the only ecolodge created and entirely managed by Indigenous Peoples. The Center is within a world biosphere reserve and promotes responsible ecotourism by protecting biodiversity, traditional activities and increased access to education and health care. 112 The Achuar of the Sharamentsa community have full ownership and management of the Community Tourism Center, which employs Indigenous Peoples to offer a variety of tourism services. The income is used to support community health and education programmes and provides an economic alternative to mining, oil and timber extraction. 67. In Argentina, the Lickan Rural Community Tourism Network is run by 10 Kolla families as a cultural exchange to share the community ’s unique natural and cultural resources with visitors and generate income to improve their quality of life. The Association of Rural Business Owners, Turu Yaco, in Quebrada del Toro, Salta Province is comprised of 50 Tastil members, who manage tourist activities. 113 The Mbyá Guaraní Tekoá Yryapú Indigenous Peoples, along with the Iguazú Technological Institute and Niagara College in Canada, have undertaken the MATE Project (Argentine Model for Tourism and Employment) to enable Indigenous __________________ 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 23-13642 See https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000249216; https://ich.unesco.org/en/individualcase-study-00988&id=00028. See https://naig2023.com/about/. Submission by Mexico. Ibid. Submission by Consejo Regional Indígena y Popular de Xpujil S.C. Submission by Ecuador. Submission by Defensoría del Pueblo de la Nación Argentina. 19/25