For nearly 20 years, Elizabeth Bell has been showing the city of Antigua, Guatemala to the world. In December, La Antigua will show Bell how much it appreciates her.

On Dec. 1, Bell will receive the Orden Diego de Porres Award, the city of Antigua’s highest honor. The award is given by National Council for the Protection of La Antigua Guatemala to recognize people who have demonstrated dedication to the protection, preservation, and research of the city.

The council is honoring her for “untiring work over many years in allowing people to know La Antigua Guatemala through her multiple books and lectures and constant activities in the preservation of the city and its cultural heritage.”

There are three levels of the award: gold, silver and bronze. Bell will receive a gold award, the pinnacle of recognition. At the same ceremony, Roberto Ogarrio, an architect and the first conservador of the city, will posthumously receive a gold award.

Since 1977, only 16 gold awards have been given to people, governments or institutions.

“It’s like the Oscars for Antigua,” Bell said. “It doesn’t get better than this.”

Bell’s relationship with Antigua began when her father moved the family there in 1969, the same year the council was founded. Bell was 14 at the time. She fell in love with the city and has lived in Guatemala ever since.

In 1992, Bell founded Antigua Tours, which shows travelers the city with a focus on professional cultural tourism.

She wasn’t originally planning on working in tourism. She was working in historic preservation when people began encouraging her to use her knowledge to give tours.

There was a lack of information in the previous tours, Bell said. Her tours focus on the city’s history, cultural trends and restoration efforts.

She has given tours to influential politicians such as Hillary Clinton and former Senator Tom Daschle.

Bell’s involvement in the tourism industry has expanded beyond Antigua Tours. She has been working with Holbrook Travel for 20 years on the Maya and More program.

She is the academic coordinator for the program, which Holbrook Travel provides through Road Scholar.  In addition to giving her own lecture and walking tour on their three-day stop in Antigua, she coordinates all the speakers in the city.

She assembled lecturers to talk about Guatemalan music, agriculture and spirituality.

Maya and More is one of Road Scholar’s most popular programs; Bell credits the quality of the speakers.

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Written by Ashira Morris