MAY 2020

Sustainable Tourism and Conservation of Natural
Resources
Educator Guide - Quintana Roo, Mexico

Contents
Introduction

3
3
4
4

Glossary

5

Unit 1 – Tourism and my Community

8
10
11
12
13
13

Unit 2 – Sustainability in Tourism

15
17
18
19
20
23
24

About - About the Activity Guide
Who is the Guide for?
What topics does this Guide cover?			

Activity 1.1 – Where do we come from?
Activity 1.2 – 20 years later
Activity 1.3 – What do we know about Tourism?
Activity 1.4 – My productive environment
Suggested readings

Activity 2.1 – Sustainability gallery
Activity 2.2 - Challenges and opportunities
Activity 2.3 Local reality of sustainable tourism
Case study #1
Activity 2.4 – Quality or Quantity?
Suggested readings

Unit 3 – Sustainable Tourism andCultural Conservation			

Case study #2
Activity 3.1 – The building blocks of community-based tourism
Case study #3
Activity 3.2 – Interpreting community-based tourism
Activity 3.3 – Folk tales and legends

Unit 4 – Sustainable Tourism andEnvironmental Conservation

26
28
31
32
35
36
37
40
41
42
42
43

Activity 4.1 - Environmental services
Activity 4.2 - Building an ecosystem profile
Activity 4.3 - Value of Ecosystems
Activity 4.4 - Interconnectivity
Case study #4

Unit 5 – Social Dynamics behind Tourism

46
48
48
49
50
51

References		

54

Activity 5.1 - Visitors and hosts
Activity 5.2 - The mark tourism leaves on society
Activity 5.3 - Roots, gender, sexuality, and tourism
Activity 5.4 - The tug-of-war between tourism and sustainability
Case study #5 		

2

Introduction
Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working to create a future where nature is protected,
biodiversity flourishes, where farmers, workers and communities prosper, and where the sustainable use of land
and responsible business practices are the new norm. We
envision a world where people and nature thrive in harmony. In this context, sustainable tourism has been one ofRainforest Alliance’s areas of action. RA promotes training
and certification of environmentally friendly best practices
among travel and tourism businesses, both rural and urban, who are aiming at the implementation of sustainable
development models.
Rainforest Alliance’s sustainability approach targets thefollowing three factors: 1) tourism products, 2) travelers’
needs and profiles, and 3) local communities and their influence. These elements have a direct impact on the social
dynamics of communities that have a tourism industry of
their own and host thousands of visitors. In tourist hotspots
like these, natural and cultural heritage sites also sufferfrom the impact of their own success.
Capacity-building in communities is essential to promoteeconomically, socially, and environmentally sustainablemodels. Stakeholders who can decide on a community’s
future should have access to credible information and opportunities for learning and capacity-building.
In this context, Rainforest Alliance has invested efforts fortraining and capacity building of key groups - rural entrepreneurs, youth, technicians, farmers, teachers, etc.- whowill spur economic activity and thus have a direct impact
on their community’s development.
TUI Care Foundation is TUI’s independent non-profit. TUI
is the world’s leading tourism group. It is present in 180 regions and serves 27 million users annually. One of TUI’s mainareas of operation is the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico.
Aware of the need for responsible travelers, TUI Care Foundation developed the ‘’Better World Detectives’’ initiative,
whereby the Foundation provides European teachers withteaching materials about specific destinations and bestpractices for travelers. Thousands of children, who either
travel or will travel one day, thus learn about tourist destinations, such as Quintana Roo.
But what happens with the children and youth who are either born or raised in tourist hotspots? What decisions will
they make for their communities regarding this economic activity? Capacity-building is, therefore, key when addressing that question. In this context, Rainforest Allianceand TUI Care Foundation launched the “Sustainable Tourism Education as a Natural Resource Conservation Strategy’’ in 2018. Its main goal is:

Sustainable tourism education for teachers in Quintana
Roo is, thus, prioritary for Rainforest Alliance and TUI Care
Foundation. The RA/TUI partnership thus fosters continuous
training among experts in the latest sustainable growthmodels, experts who can harness and appreciate natural
resources, and recognize the regional historic and cultural
heritage of their communities.
In 2017, RA and TUI Care assessed tourism, environmental
education, and sustainability-related efforts in Quintana
Roo. The study included the input from stakeholders andorganizations working on environmental education andsustainability training. The study revealed potential training opportunities for high-impact groups who need specialized sustainability-related knowledge. The study’s main
results showed that high school teachers have a great potential to further growth. They can be the source of knowledge for local youth groups, between the ages of 15 and 19.
As future workers and decision-makers, these young people will be the backbone of a local economy whose predominant economic activity may be tourism.
About this Activity Guide
The lack of educational material about community-specific issues is one of the main weaknesses in sustainability
training and education in Mexico. Even though sustainability and tourism are a global concern, country and regional
scenarios vary to a great extent. Conservation and training
must therefore be extremely specific in order to create solid community engagement.
This Activity Guide is the result of a participatory process
between RA/TUI and civil society organizations, entities
dedicated to sustainability education, and sustainable
tourism experts. The Guide addresses a local need for an
educational tool about natural resource conservation, cultural heritage and its relationship with sustainable tourism
in Quintana Roo.
This material seeks to serve as training and capacity-building material for teachers in Quintana Roo, both inurban and rural areas. They will thus be able to introduce
sustainable tourism, environmental conservation, and cultural heritage to their students, deepening their knowledge
about these topics through a series of activities that foster
critical thinking, collective knowledge-building, meaningfullearning, and active student engagement.
The materials included in this Guide are the outcome of
the training sessions with high school teachers who werepart of the Network of Leading Teachers on Sustainable
Tourism’s 14-month training. Quintana Roo teachers arewelcome to use these materials as additional educational resources to build knowledge, values, and skills among
students.

To build a network of local teachers who become
leaders on tourism and sustainability issues. They willthen transfer knowledge to their students and schools,
laying a bridge between existing local sustainable
tourism initiatives and the educational sector so thatsocial and environmental awareness are instilled in
the next generation of community leaders.

3Who is the Guide for?
Materials have been designed for high school teachers,
teaching students ages 15 to 19. RA/TUI Care’s assessment
identified that few organizations train teachers in environmental conservation, tourism, and sustainability. Most
training opportunities are available only to elementary
school teachers.
This provides an outstanding window of opportunity in
Quintana Roo’s higher education sector. Educational resources for teachers would enable them to have an influence on the local youth’s development, who are on their
way to becoming active members of their communities.

Activities have also been designed to create a hands-on
learning experience. Experiential learning is the process
whereby knowledge is built as a result of reflection andtransformational experiences. The cycle begins when aperson has a concrete experience -such as participating
in an activity-, followed by observation of and reflection
upon that experience, leading to abstract conceptualization, generalizations, and a change of mindset or attitudes,
which are then used to test hypothesis for future case scenarios3.

The materials included in this Guide follow a progressive
thematic order. However, the main challenge for teachers and facilitators is creating a meaningful learning experience tailored to the students’ context, life experiences,knowledge, and their community’s sense of belonging andidentity towards their natural resources, historical legacy,
traditions and the productive activities. Activities were designed to lead students to identify problems in their communities and region, their relationship with tourism, andwhat they can do address the issue and strive for sustainable development models. However, teachers and facilitators are welcome to adapt the materials in this Guide tomeet specific student needs.
What topics does this Guide cover?
Sustainable tourism is the guiding thread of this educational guide. Materials address the main components tounderstand sustainable tourism from a social, environmental, economic, and cultural perspective. Students will
therefore have a holistic approach to tourism.
The Guide is divided into units, each of which covers a specific topic. Yet, the Guide does not need to be taught in sequential order. The topics each unit covers are:
Main topic: Sustainable Tourism
Unit 1

Unit 2

Tourismand MyCommunity

Sustainability in
Tourism

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

Sustainable Tourism andHeritage
Conservation

Sustainable
Tourismand Environmental
Conservation

SocialDynamics
behindTourism

Each unit includes topic-specific information, activities,
case studies, and suggested readings. Teacher training
activities have been designed to create a meaningfullearning1, constructivist2, and collective knowledge-building. Thus, the following units are structured in a way thatteachers can progressively guide students through the
topic and enrich their learning experience with additional
resources.

4

Glossary4

al tourism, conference tourism, health tourism, adventure
tourism, and ethno-tourism, among others.

Benchmarking: management technique that aims at discovering and defining the aspects that make a businessmore profitable than another, in order to adapt that knowledge to the business itself.

Tour operator: companies that are formally incorporated
as a natural or legal entity and are professionally engaged
in making travel arrangements.

Carrying capacity: total number of visitors that an area
can manage to ensure high satisfaction levels and minimum impact on natural and cultural resources.
Competitiveness: the ability of an organization, public
or private, for-profit or non-profit, to obtain and maintaincomparative advantages that enable it to achieve, sustain
and improve a given position in the socio-economic environment.
Heritage: set of tangible and intangible assets, whether
known or unknown, available to humanity to meet needs ofthe tourism industry through a process of transformation.
Impact: for the purposes of this context, the difference between living conditions of a population and a project’s outputs and results. A project’s outcome after its implementation in a community. Development occurs when a projectyields all the benefits it had originally forecasted.
Indicator: useful data that measures to what extent goals
and objectives have been achieved. At least two specificvariables -objective and verifiable - that are analyzed asa single unit to identify situational changes and activity results.
Marketing: process of giving a product the right conditions and organizing logistics for its sale. Marketing covers
aspects such as distribution, sales strategies, sales conditions, pricing policy, etc.
Planning: the continuous process of taking advantage ofopportunities, reducing threats, consolidating strengths,transforming weaknesses, soling problems and meetingneeds in order to achieve goals and objectives throughstrategic efficiency.
Production chain: group of economic agents directly involved in the production, processing and transfer of a
product to the marketplace.
Sustainable tourism development: tourism that ensuresa proper use of natural and cultural resources, guaranteeing that future generations will also benefit from them.
Determining a place’s carrying capacity is essential to observe this principle. The three cornerstones of sustainable
tourism are the environment, society, and economy.
Territorial development: process of progressive changethat seeks to create a balance between the well-being of
the population, land use, and the conservation and protection of natural resources and productive activities. Its aim
is to improve the quality of life of the population through asustainable approach.
Thematic tourism: tourist offer linked to the motivation
behind a trip, normally related to a specific activity. Some
examples of thematic tourism include ecotourism, cultur-

Tourism: phenomenon which entails the movement ofpeople -tourists- to places outside their usual environment
for personal or business/professional purposes, as well as
the activities performed by them.
Tourism cluster: group of related companies, specialized
providers, institutions that operate within a specific geographical location, and who are both competing and cooperating with one another.
Tourism competitiveness: tourism competitiveness has
two approaches, the product approach and the business approach. Product competitiveness is the ability ofa tourist attraction to combine conditions that differentiate it from other places and turn it into a product that canbe commercialized. Product competitiveness, therefore,
relates not only to the quality of the tourist attraction itself, but also to the factors that differentiate it and makeit appealing to tourists. Examples of these factors include
accessibility, infrastructure, tourist facilities, price/quality
ratio, safety, image and overall quality. Business competitiveness is the ability to make profit and sustain a businessover time.
Tourism product: attractions and services available in themarket to meet tourists’ needs, requirements, and wishes.
Tourist area: physical space of variable extension, withsimilar physical characteristics and landscapes. Small areas that are grouped together are known as tourist areas.
All the elements that comprise a tourist area must have acommon infrastructure and communication services.
Tourist attraction: a place, object or event that people visit
while they are on holiday. It is the fundamental componentof the tourist product.
Tourist destination: physical space where a visitor stays
at least one night and which has tourism products, such as
infrastructure, attractions, and tourism resources. Its competitiveness in the market is based on the general public’s
perceptions, management policy, and images based on
its physical and administrative boundaries.
Tourist service provider: any natural or legal person providing tourism-related services -as a provider, intermediary or contractor - directly or indirectly to tourists.
Traditional or ejido authority: members of an indigenous
community who hold -within the structure of their own culture - power of to organize, lead a government, perform
management tasks or exert social control.
Training: planned, systematic, and organized process thatseeks to modify, improve and expand the staff’s knowledge, skills and attitudes to further natural change, growth
and adaptation to new internal and external circumstances. Training improves performance and is considered anindicator of competitiveness in the current labor market.

5

Travel agencies: Companies that are formally incorporated as a natural or legal entity and are professionally engaged in selling travel plans.
UNESCO World Heritage: monuments, ensembles, andsites of outstanding universal value from a historic, artistic, or scientific point of view. Heritage also includes natural assets, geological formations, and natural landscapesof outstanding value from an aesthetic, scientific, heritage-related, and cultural perspective.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): United Nations
agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. As the leadinginternational organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO
promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability, andoffers leadership and support to the sector in advancing
knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

6

Unit 1: Tourism and My Community

Playa del Carmen, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo

7

Unit 1 – Tourism and My
Community
BackgroundThe biological richness and cultural heritage of Quintana
Roo has made it one of Mexico’s strongest natural capital

powerhouses. On the other hand, the state’s outstanding
contribution to the national economy thanks to tourism
have put pressure on ecosystems, biodiversity and thepreservation of the state’s cultural wealth.

An overview of Quintana Roo:

Economy:Hotel rooms: 101, 493 rooms (increasing)Average annual number of visitors: 17 million
Tourism Spillover: 8.81 billion USD

Population:
1.502 million inhabitants

Education:
Six out of 100 inhabitants of
Quintana Roo have no schooling at all, 13 have unfinishedelementary studies, 15 have completed primary education, 5 have unfinished secondary studies, 27 have completed secondary
education, 7 have unfinished upper secondary studies, 15
have completed upper secondary education, 3 unfinishedundergraduate degrees, 8 have obtained undergraduate
degrees, 1 has post-graduate studies.

Ramsar sites:
13 out of the 142 registered in Mexico. Wetlands of international importance, considered as fundamental ecosystems
in building resilience, and ensuring conservation and a sustainable use of natural resources.

Natural protected areas:
Federal jurisdiction: 17 federal, Statejurisdiction: 10, Municipal jurisdiction: 1

Predominant vegetation:
Medium semi-evergreen forest

Biodiversity, (number of registeredspecies:
Fungi: 405, vascular plants: 1700, insects:
1335, fish: 644, amphibians: 22, reptiles:
106, birds: 483, mammals: 129.

•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•

Indigenous groups:
Nine indigenous peoples live in theregion: Akateko, Ixil, Kaqchikel, Jakalteco,
K’iche, Mam, Maya, Q’anjob’al, Q’eqchi
and Chuj. The Mayan culture has thelargest presence in the state, with 430,000
inhabitants, 49% of whom are women and
51% are men.

Population: 1,502,000 inhabitants5
Municipalities: Cozumel, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Isla Mujeres, Othón P. Blanco, Benito Juárez, José María Morelos, Lázaro Cárdenas, Solidaridad, Tulum, Bacalar andPuerto Morelos
Surface area: 50,843 km2, representing 2.2 % of the national territory
Predominant vegetation: medium semi-evergreen
forestBiodiversity (number of registered species)6: 405 fungi,
1,700 vascular plants, 1,335 insects, 644 fish, 22 amphibians, 106 reptiles, 483 birds, 129 mammals
Natural protected areas: falling within federal jurisdiction: 17; within state jurisdiction: 10; within municipal
jurisdiction: 1
World Heritage Sites (UNESCO): Sian Ka’an Nature Reserve
Ramsar sites: 13 out of the 142 registered in Mexico.

•

•
•
•

8

Wetlands of international importance, considered as
fundamental ecosystems in building resilience, andensuring conservation and a sustainable use of natural resources
Education: six out of 100 inhabitants of Quintana Roo
have no schooling at all, 13 have unfinished elementary studies, 15 have completed primary education,
5 have unfinished secondary studies, 27 have completed secondary education, 7 have unfinished upper
secondary studies, 15 have completed upper secondary education, 3 unfinished undergraduate degrees, 8 have obtained undergraduate degrees, 1 haspost-graduate studies.
Hotel rooms7: 101, 493 rooms (increasing)Average annual tourists: 17 million
Tourism spillover: 8.81 billion USD

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon
related to the movement of people to places outside theirusual place of residence for personal or business/professional reasons. These people are called visitors and tourism is related to what they do in the place of destination.
Some of these activities include tourists spending in thelocal communities.

quality of life for locals. Development models must adhere
to sustainable development practices that include diversified supply networks, the integration of rural areas, andthe promotion of tourism products that suit visitors’ profiles
and global industry trends.

Tourism is a social phenomenon that consists of the voluntary and temporary displacement of individuals or groupsof people who move from their place of regular residence
to another in quest for recreation, rest, cultural experiences or health services. They do not perform any lucrative or
remunerated activity, generating mutually-relevant social,economic and cultural exchanges.

Quintana Roo 2015, percentage share per sector in constantvaluesTable 1.3

Activity

Primary Activities

0.72

Agriculture, livestock farming, forestry, fishing and hunting
Secondary activities
Oil mining

An economic sector is an area of the economy of a stateor territory characterized by a specific type of productive
process. Economic sectors are divided into primary (rawmaterials), secondary (manufacturing) and tertiary (services). They are the basis of every country’s economy andthe more solid they are, the more growth and development
they spur. Since they are the source of formal employment,
their main task is to increase the quality of life of a country’s inhabitants, provide them with social security andprevent unemployment.

Wood industry

0.46
0Non-oil mining

0.46

Electric power, water and gas generation and distribution
through pipelines

1.07

Construction

6.98

Manufacturing industries

3.31

Food industry

2.52

Beverage and tobacco industries

0.3

Textile manufacture and finishing; manufacturing of textile
products (except garment production)

0.02

Garment production; leather and fur tanning and finishing;production of leather, fur and substitute materials

0.07
0Paper industry; printing and related industries

0.04

Oil & gas; coal extraction; petroleum products; chemicalindustry; plastic and rubber industries

0.03

Manufacturing of non-metal mineral products

The economy of the state of Quintana Roo is based on foreign and national private investment in the tourism sector.
As tourism has soared in the state, the number of people
from other states that have migrated to join the state’s labor force has exponentially increased due to the demand
for skilled labor, especially in the tertiary sector. This phenomenon has triggered the need to expand social infrastructure and public services.

0.1

Basic metal industries; metal product manufacturing

0.03

Machinery and equipment manufacturing; computer,communications, and measurement equipment
manufacturing; electrical components and accessories;
manufacturing of spare parts, electrical devices andpower generation equipment; transportation equipment
manufacturing

0.01

Furniture, mattresses and blinds

0.11

Other manufacturing industries

0.09

Tertiary activities

87.48

Trade

18.67

Transportation, mailing and storage

8.15

Mass media

1.22

Financial and insurance services

2.51

Real estate and movable assets sales and lease

12.38

Professional, scientific and technical services

1.38

Corporate services0

Business support and waste management andremediation services

The economy of Quintana Roo works around tourism. It istherefore considered the state’s main development driver. Tourism in the state of Quintana Roo contributes to 80%of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 27.4% of
the foreign currencies it attracts come from tourism, whichtranslates into about 3.3 billion dollars, according to the
Quintana Roo Department of Tourism (SEDETUR.) The northern part of the state is where most tourism activities takeplace due to the presence of destinations such as Cancun,
Riviera Maya (Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Akumal
and Tulum.) As for the south of the state, Cozumel’s tourist
activity development rate is slow.

0.72
11.8

MiningInternational tourism has become as one of the mostimportant economic activities worldwide, furthering development and yielding economic benefits for the local
population. Tourism boosts the host’s communities’ economy directly and indirectly, mainly due to the demand forgoods and services that must be produced and provided,even beyond the local communities’ borders. In Mexico,
tourism generates about 9 million jobs, 4 million direct jobs
and about 5 million indirect jobs.

Percentage
share 2014

5.81

Educational services

2.9

Healthcare and social security services

2.07

Culture and sports services; other recreational or leisureservices

1.41

Temporary accommodation; food and beverage
preparation services

21.53

Other services, except government activities

6.19

Source: Plan Estatal de Desarrollo 2016 - 2022

Quintana Roo’s tourism depends on natural resources,
which main threats are changes in land use and the rapid urban sprawl. In the future, tourism in the state will face
major challenges. It is essential therefore to build economic development models that foresee environmental
conservation, and community well-being and a dignified

9Activity 1.1

Where do we come from?
Objectives:
To know where students come from by locating theirplaces of origin in a map of Mexico. To recognize thegroup’s diversity to further inclusion and respect. To encourage participation from all students.

Materials and instructions:
1.
2.
3.

4.

Ask each student to place a stamp or their nametag
on a map of Mexico, indicating their state or community of origin.
Ask students to share with the group a trait of theirplace of origin when they place their identifier.
If most of the students in the group belong to thesame hometown, the map can then be from theirhome community so students can mark the specificplace they live in, sharing the main characteristics oftheir home, the things their families do, or if their parents come from a different community.
Ask the rest of the group to talk about their places oforigin, their diversity, features and the different communities that live within the same area to start a conversation about diversity, cultural richness, multiculturalism, respect and inclusion.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• What is be the importance of recognizing diversity ina group?
• What traditions/activities do we share in common
and what traditions differentiate us from the rest of
the group?
• How can we make the most of a diverse group?
• How can we practice respect• when a group is diverse?

10Activity 1.2

20 years later
Objectives:

7.

To raise awareness of the territory’s fragility and natural
resources. To discover the importance of land use andland exploitation by analyzing how land has been used in
Quintana Roo in the past 20 years.

Materials and instructions:
1.
2.

3.

4.

Download the maps that will be used in this activity
at: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/curricula/ecotourism (available in Spanish)
Group students according to the geographical areas
they come from. If all of them live in the same community, let them choose if they want to pick a specificarea of their municipality or state.
Ask them to draw on a flip chart a map of what theircommunities have, including services, businesses,
natural wealth, cultural heritage, social groups, i.e. all
the elements they can identify from their designatedgeographical area.
Ask them to paste their maps on the walls or in aplace where they are visible to the whole group. Askeach team to explain what they included in their work.
Teachers should help students identify the similarities
and differences of each geographic region, highlighting what factors are unique to each area.

8.

9.

Give each team the 1997 geographical land use maps
corresponding to the area they are studying. Ask themto analyze what they see in the types of land use thatwere in force 20 years ago in their community andask them to write down their observations. Teachers
should gather the teams’ observations, making reference to the maps worked on in the beginning andfinding the similarities, differences and new findings.
Break students into teams again, and ask them tomake a list of productive activities that take place inthe community they are studying. Ask them to pay
special attention to those activities that contribute to
the local economy the most, particularly those they
can relate to tourism.
Give each team its area’s 2017 land use map. Ask themto compare the 1997 and the 2017 map and note down
their observations. Ask teams to share their observations with the rest of the group.

Land use comparison in Northern Quintana Roo 1997 (left)
and 2017 (right). Maps by Rainforest Alliance, 2018.
5.

6.

Ask students to research into the changes their communities have gone through. In order to do this, students should ask someone from their community(parent, grandparent, uncle or neighbor) about thechanges they have observed over the years. Ask students to think of 5 interview questions that will help
them visualize what their community was like 10, 20, or
30 years ago.
Ask students to share their interviews’ findings. Whatchanges have people noticed over the past 10 to 30
years? What could be causing these changes? How
could these changes affect the community?

Recap:The teacher asks the participants to draw a new map of
their community with the goods, services, resources andactivities they envision for 2037 (in 20-years’ time) on theback of the first maps. Ask students to explain their newmaps by asking the following prompting questions:• How does this activity help us understand development in Quintana Roo?
• What past actions have eroded our territory and favored the loss of our natural and cultural resources?
• If you could make decisions to change your community’s development plan, what would you do differently?

11Activity 1.3

What do we know about tourism?
Objectives:

Recap:

To identify how much the group knows about sustainability, tourism and environmental education throughqualitative diagnostic tools. To provide students with abaseline knowledge about sustainable tourism.

Ask some students to share the answers they wrote down
to the rest of the group. Take some of the most precise answers shared during the group discussion and invite therest of the group to build on them and the concepts of
tourism, sustainability and environmental education.

Materials and instructions:
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

Hand out paper and pens and ask students to answer
the following questions individually:• How do you define sustainable tourism?
• How is tourism present in your community?
• What do you understand by environmental education?
When students are ready, ask them to share their answers in pairs.
Ask them to share their answer sheets with anotherstudent.
Discuss the answers to questions 1 and 3 as a group by
analyzing the content8. Ask them to use a highlighteror a color pencil to highlight the key words they find ineach of the answers they wrote down.
Write down the key words for each answer on a board
or a flip chart and mark the number of times eachword appears or has been mentioned in the students’answers. The list will serve as a diagnostic of how
much students knew about the concepts addressedin each question.

At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• Based on our answers, what are our former ideas on
tourism, sustainability, and environmental education?
• How do we notice that tourism is present in our communities?
• Why is it worthy to recap on our initial knowledge asa group?

12

Activity 1.4

My productive environment
Objectives:6.

To make a list that helps students understand the dynamics of the productive activities in their community and how they are related to productivity. To identify
the activities that create development and economic
growth in their local environment.

Ask students to write down a scale that shows how
much each activity depends directly or indirectly
on tourism. Rate each activity on a scale from 1 to5, where 1 means that the activity is completely independent from tourism, and 5 shows absolute dependence on tourism, as shown in the table below:
Dependence on Tourism

Materials and instructions:

Productive activity inmy community

1.

Vegetable production

2.

3.
4.

5.

Students must have been asked in advance to research into their community’s productive activities,
that is, all the activities that create employment andeconomic profit in the place they live in.
Give students some blank flash cards and ask them towrite down the economic activities they found during
their research. They must write down one activity per
card.
Ask them to make a circle and place the cards withthe activities at the center. Group similar or repeatedactivities.
Ask students to get into teams and make a concept
map of the productive activities in their community,
including all the activities identified by the group andhighlighting those that were repeated the mostWhen the maps are ready, ask each team to sharewith the rest of the group.

Boat trips on the reefs

7.

1

2

3

4

5

X
X

When students are ready, ask them to share what theywrote on their assessment scales.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• How diverse are economic activities in our community?
• How does tourism influence our community’s
productivity?
• How can our community’s productive activities
become more diverse?
• How can our community’s productive activities benefit tourism without having an impact on land use, natural resources, and cultural assets?

Suggested readings

Reference sites

Formation of the State of Quintana Roo
http://identidadesmexico.com/2013/02/de-territorio-a-estado-la-creacion-del-estado-de-quintana-roo/

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) http://www2.unwto.
org/esGlobal Vision of Tourism to Mexico
https://www.datatur.sectur.gob.mx/Documentos%20compartidos/VisionGlobalTurismoAMexAbr2018.pdf
Tourism in Mexico
https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/276/27611202.pdf

Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) https://www.
gstcouncil.org/?lang=es
Department of Environment and Natural Resources(SEMARNAT) Sustainable Tourism https://bit.ly/2LBpFMS
University of Aragon. Sustainable Tourism and Environment
https://bit.ly/2qxDoLA

13

Unit 2: Sustainability in Tourism

Siijil Noh Ha, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo

14

Unit 2 – Sustainability in
Tourism
Sustainable development is process that strives for holistic
and orderly resource management to ensure their longterm availability, allowing the conservation of natural andcultural capital, including protected areas. As a powerfuldevelopment tool, tourism can and should actively participate in sustainable development strategies. Good tourism
management practices require resources to be used sustainably, since these are the backbone of tourism itself.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines sustainable tourism as a way to manage all resources so that they
can meet economic, social and aesthetic needs, while respecting culture, essential ecological processes, biologicaldiversity and other life-sustaining systems.
Sustainable development guidelines for tourism and sustainable management practices apply to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism andspecific industry segments. The principles of sustainability
address the environmental, economic and socioculturalcomponents of tourism. Creating a balance among thesethree dimensions is key to ensure their long-term sustainability.
Sustainable tourism should therefore9:
1.
Optimize the use of natural resources, which are a fundamental element of tourism, preserving key naturalprocesses, natural resources and biological diversity.
2.
Respect the sociocultural identity of the host communities, preserving their cultural and architectural
assets and their traditional values, and contributing tointercultural understanding and respect.
3. Ensure viable long-term economic activities that yieldwell-distributed socio-economic benefits to community members, such as opportunities for stable employment and income, and social services for the hostcommunities, contributing to poverty reduction.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),
in the last 20 years the growth of tourism has gone throughthe roof for several reasons:• Travelling become the rule, not the exception. We all
seek to make a trip somewhere we see leisure travel
as an ordinary thing, when only a few decades ago,
international travel was reserved for small elite.
• The arrival of the internet has created new communication and sales channels that consumers can go directly to if they want a tourism products and services.
• The growth of emerging economies has generated
new tourist flows. In these countries, the rising middle
class aspires to travel, and travelling is a sign of status.
• The rise of low-cost airlines has reduced the price ofregional travel.
• A greater number of possibilities: with the rise of tourism, all destinations in the world have begun to promote themselves internationally to attract new tourists.
• New types of accommodation emerged as a resultof a collaborative economy model (e.g. Airbnb, couchsurfing, among others.)
The exponential growth of tourism has made some destinations overflow with more tourists than they can manage.
This industry already represents 10 percent of the global GDP and generates one in every 11 jobs worldwide. The
world has gone from seeing 25 million tourists in 1950, tomore than 1.5 billion in 2018.
Few industries have skyrocketed as tourism has, and tourism is expected to grow steadily at a rate of 4% per year.
Not surprisingly, mass tourism has started to have negative effects on tourist destinations.
Therefore, the conventional tourism development model
was questioned, especially in more traditional destinations
that seek to create a balanced relationship between tourists and local citizens. Mass tourism first took its toll on local
ecosystems, due to the arrival of large numbers of people,
sometimes in very short periods.

Sustainable development in tourism requires the informed
participation of all stakeholders, as well as a strong political leadership to achieve high levels of engagement andreach a consensus. The quest for sustainable tourism is acontinuous process that requires constant monitoring, as
to implement preventive or corrective measures in case ofincidents.
Sustainable tourism must also ensure high levels of satisfaction among tourists, giving them a meaningful experience that makes them more aware of sustainability issues,
fostering sustainable tourism practices. Tourism is an industry in constant evolution, which changes according toeconomic, political and demographic factors. Nowadays,
leisure travel is an ordinary thing in our lives, but this was
not the case only a few decades ago.
For centuries, tourism was only available to a select groupof people, mainly in Europe. The rise of commercial aviation in the 60s led to the growth of international tourism,
as airlines allowed people to reach destinations which had
previously been difficult to visit.

15

Sustainable Tourism Management - adapted from González-Armida (2016)

SOCIAL EQUITY• Benefits for the local society• Employment, rent
• Quality of life
• Respect for sociocultural values

Conservation throughequityEconomy based on
the local community

SUSTAINABLE
TOURISMENVIRONMENTALCONSERVATION• Biodiversity conservation• Rational use andconservation of natural
resources

Environment
and Economy
Integration

Rapid-growing tourism has created five major future challenges to destinations and to the tourism industry10:
1.
Tourism growth management: tourist destinations will
have to create robust tourism development plans, sothat it does not jeopardize the local resources (natural,
historical and artistic) that tourists find appealing.
2.
Climate change: on the one hand, tourism is directly
affected by climate change-related events, such as
greater weather instability and rising sea levels. Yet,
tourism also contributes significantly to global warming and climate change because the industry is estimated to cause up to 5% of global greenhouse gas
emissions. Tourist transportation alone accounts for
90% of all the tourist sector’s emissions.
3. Poverty reduction: the natural and cultural resourcesof developing countries give them a relative economic advantage, since they are an attraction for the tourist sector. In this sense, tourism can become a tool toreduce poverty.

4.

5.

16

ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY• Feasible tourist
activities in thedestionation site
• Feasibility ofcompanies• Demand satisfaction

Preservation efforts: tourism is an essential source ofincome, and profits can be used to preserve natural
resources. This factor is increasingly relevant because,due to long economic crises, many developing countries have reduced their preservation budget, whiledeveloped countries have cut back their funding toward cooperation for development and environmental protection.
Health and safety: in recent years, the impact of
tourism on the health, quality of life and security insome host communities has raised concern, causing changes in tourist flow patterns mainly in tourist
hotspots. Today, flows are directly affected by factors
such as potential health contingencies, terrorism, andorganized criminal activity.

Activity 2.1

Sustainability gallery
Objectives:
To collectively define the concept of sustainable tourism
based on the information provided above, promoting
a clear understanding of the concepts of sustainability
and tourism, how they are interconnected, as well as theway in which they manifest themselves in the students’community.

Materials and instructions:
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

Use any game to group students into teams of 5 (max.)
Show students the list of keywords they identified as
key components of sustainable tourism in Activity 1.3,
or hold a brainstorming session to come up with a listof words related to tourism and sustainability.
Ask students to pick a maximum of ten words from thelist and build their own definition of sustainable tourism.
Have a group discussion to allow students to sharesome of their definitions.
Give each team a specific time to share its definitions
with other groups and then ask each group to draw ormake a diagram of the definition of sustainable tourism based on the other groups’ input. The intention is
to put into a single drawing the graphic elements andwords that synthesize everybody’s definition of sustainable tourism.

6.
7.

Ask students to create a gallery, either by hanging
their work with thread or clothespins or gluing them tothe classroom walls.
Invite students from other groups to visit the gallery
and ask the students that participated in the activity
to explain their work.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap witheach team by asking the following prompting questions,so as to share, later on, their thoughts in plenary:• What is the general perception of the group on
sustainable tourism?
• Should we change our definitions in any way?
• What are the key aspects of the definition of sustainable tourism?
• Do our communities have sustainable tourism
models in place? Which ones do you know?

17Activity 2.2

Challenges and opportunities
Objectives:
To analyze challenges, opportunities, threats andstrengths that the students’ communities face toward
the development of sustainable tourism through a SWOT
analysis that helps them understand where their communities stand.

Materials and instructions:
1.

2.
3.

4.

Group students into teams of a five (max., dependingon the number of participants). Ask them to perform a
SWOT analysis11 (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
and Threats) that responds to the following question:
How is sustainable tourism present in my community?
If students come from different locations, the teams
can be divided by geographic areas to obtain moredetailed input.
Give each team a flipchart and ask them to divide it
into four sections: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Ask students to fill in each section according to what
they see happening in their community regarding
sustainable tourism. Explain that strengths and weaknesses are related to activities, while challenges andopportunities are external factors.
When students are ready, ask each team to share
their analysis. Presentations should be given to thewhole group. Highlight the similarities and identify thedifferences among each team’s work.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• According to the teams´ presentations, what are themain challenges communities face regarding sustainable tourism?
• If you could have a say in a tourism development planin your community, what would its fundamentals be,based on this exercise? This last question can lead toa new activity, where the same teams should write adecalogue or set of guidelines for sustainable tourism
in their community.

18

Activit 2.3

Local reality of sustainable tourism
Objectives:
To get to know the reality of sustainable tourism in Quintana Roo based on expert data sources to help students
get an outlook of the tourism industry in the state and its
transition towards a sustainability model.

Materials and instructions:
1.

2.

3.
4.

Download and display the presentation “Sustainable
tourism, trends and perspectives”, from sustainable
tourism expert, Vicente Ferreyra. (Download here:
https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/curricula/ecotourism, available in Spanish)
Ask students to create a diagram on a flipchart to describe what the presentation said about:• The state of sustainable tourism in Quintana Roo• Tourism and sustainability criteria that should beconsidered• The main challenges it faces
The ideas expressed by each team in their diagram
should offers an as-is radiography of the current situation of sustainable tourism in Quintana Roo.
At the end, ask each team to share their ideas and diagrams with the rest of the group.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking students to share, in pairs and later in plenary, the following prompting questions:• Why is it important to identify the current status of sustainable tourism in Quintana Roo?
• In the next 10 years, what factors should be consideredto implement a sustainable development model in
Quintana Roo?

19

Case study 1

Harmony between comfort and sustainability
Karisma Hotels &Resorts, an example ofsustainability in tourist
hotel complexes12.
The Issue
As Mexico’s main tourism driver, every year Quintana Roo
receives millions of tourists looking for quality options andentertainment during their stay. The existing offer in Quintana Roo is rich in high-category and high-quality options
and there is a specific segment that meets the needs ofthose looking for luxury accommodation. Unfortunately, inmany tourist destinations there still is the misconceptionthat sustainability comes at the expense of “comfort andquality” in tourist services. Traditional businesspeople still
think that sustainability is applicable only to certain market segments and not as a business philosophy that any
company can implement, regardless of whether they target backpackers or tourists in search for luxury accommodations.
To prove that sustainability is at every sector’s reach, Karisma Hotels & Resorts has opted to meet the needs of theluxury market niche without jeopardizing sustainable practices in its brands and properties.

The Solution
Given the increasing pressure on natural resources that
tourism exerts and the changes in social dynamics created by the hotel industry, Karisma Hotels & Resorts decided
to reorganize its operations to implement good good sustainability practices that favor society, the environment,
and the economy.
The company began operations in 2000, opening hotels in
Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Croatia and Serbia. Its brands offer diverse options to tourists,
either adults or families. Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ mission
is to be recognized internationally as a leading company
in the hospitality industry, offering innovate products that
optimize resources, promoting customer and collaborators’ loyalty, contributing to the conservation of environment, and expanding into new markets.
Karisma Hotels & Resorts is convinced that any company
that depends on a natural site to operate must consider
its collaborators, neighboring communities, and the surrounding environment as part of its business model. There-

fore, they developed a sustainability policy based on 10
principles that incorporate social, economic and environmental aspects. From a social perspective, this policy foresees the well-being of its employees, their families and thecommunities neighboring on the resorts’ facilities. Economy-wise, the policy considers a local supply chain, waste
generation and management strategies, and defines what
resources should be used. In environmental terms, the policy considers the protection of natural resources and biodiversity surrounding its facilities. This policy is based on
the actions that hotels can implement to comply with the
Sustainable Development Objectives.
The Passion for Sustainability program is the tool throughwhich Karisma Hotels & Resorts implements, measures,monitors and evaluates its Sustainability Policy. Its indicators measure the social and environmental impact of thepolicy. In environmental matters, the performance indicators show the hotel’s impact by assessing the guests’ perception about the sustainability program, resource consumption (e.g. energy and water), waste generation, andcarbon footprint, and voluntary environmentally friendly
certifications.

The Outcome
Karisma Hotels & Resorts published its first sustainability report in 2017. The document explains the parameters
and indicators the resort will use to monitor the impact of
its sustainability policy. Some of the report’s highlights interms of environmentally friendly practices are:• All cleaning products used in its operation have a biodegradability rate higher than 70%.
• All agrochemicals used in their gardens are labeledblue and green. Organic products are generally preferred.
• 33,547 liters of waste cooking oil were recovered to
produce biodiesel.
• More than 90% of the resort’s cooling equipment uses
ecological cooling gas. The hotel seeks to replaceequipment that uses R22 coolant with more efficientand low-impact ones.
• Totally chlorine-free ecological paper with 50% of natural fibers is currently in use.
• Through the hotel’s recycling program, 704,196 kilograms of recyclable waste were prevented from being sent to landfill.
• Through the sea turtle protection program, in 2017,34,175 hatchlings were released.
• The hotel’s greenhouse produces 12 tons of vegetables
per month, all of which are used for their own consumption.

20

From the socio-economic point of view, Karisma Hotels &Resorts engaged in the following activities for the benefit
of local Mayan communities in 2017:• 4,185 liters of honey and 7,912 kilograms of jams werebought, generating income for the producing communities.
• Through the Karisma Foundation, created by thecompany to promote programs to support vulnerable
communities, wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, hearing
aids and other healing aids were donated to 148 families. In addition, funds were raised to assist 200 women
who suffered from breast cancer.
• Overall, 5,514 people received medical assistance thethe Karisma Foundation’s Health Fairs and its Mobile
Medical Unit.
Through these actions, Karisma Hotels & Resorts has become a leader in sustainable practices, allowing them toappeal to a market segment that is looking for sustainableaccommodation. They have several partnerships at international, national and local levels with entities such as
Viacom, TUI, Nickelodeon, Holliday Villages, AlliaRSE, Flora,
Fauna and Culture of Mexico, and the Quintana Roo State
Committee for the Management, Protection and Conservation of the Sea Turtle. They have received awards andcertifications from external evaluators, including Great
Place to Work, Socially Responsible Company, Travelife,
Gourmet Awards, EarthCheck, EcoLider Tripadvisor, Green
Globe, and Travvy Award Winner.

Innovation
Among its environmentally friendly practices, Hotel Dorado
Royale has a project that furthers and recognizes sustainability strategies in its facilities and partner hotels: a greenhouse where approximately 12 tons of vegetables are produced per month and then used in their own kitchens.
This greenhouse is the only one certified by the Rainforest
Alliance in a coastal area. It supplies about 20% of Karisma Hotels food demand in Mexico, thus allowing hotels to
consume all the produce. This effort is communicated toguests to engage them in the hotel’s good practices. Guided tours to the greenhouse are available for guests andexternal groups (except children and adolescents, due
to hotel minimum age policies.) During the tours, visitors
learn about how the greenhouse works, what inputs theyuse, and what is produced. Guests then realize that they
are part of a production and consumption cycle. For more
information, see the text box on the Rainforest Alliance certification of sustainable agriculture at the end of this Guide
and this video about the greenhouse.

The Takeaways
In an interview conducted in 2018 by Sustentur with Ms.
Sasa Milojevic, president of hotel operations and CEO for
Mexico and the Caribbean of Karisma Hotels & Resorts,
she summarizes some of the main benefits and lessons
learned by the company through its sustainability model.
Here is a translated excerpt from this interview.
How does Karisma Hotels & Resorts define sustainability? Sustainability is something that defines us because itis an integral part of the company and our vision for the
future. We pioneered in the incorporation of a sustainability
model into our business vision and put it as a backbone ofour daily operation. We have integrated the model not only
in our vision, but into our business philosophy, on the one
hand, measuring the efficiency and control of operations
monitoring and, on the other hand, reducing the impacts
we have on our community.
What are the reasons why you want to go beyond yourcompany’s operations and join efforts in places of destination and engage in global actions? As a company, it
is very clear to us that we are not alone in this planet, that
we depend on fate, community, neighbors, governments,
resources around us and that we have, as a community,
the responsibility to live in harmony and generate positive
impacts [...] About our signing of the Manifesto on Sustainable Tourism, we wanted to make our position very clear, toshow that we work hand in hand and collaborate with thegovernment, with the place of destination, and with civilsociety, because only by working as a team can we reallyhelp our destinations be more successful in the long-term
and achieve great results.
What is the future vision of Grupo Karisma and how will
they incorporate sustainability? Our vision for the future
is very clear: we will continue addressing sustainability, because we have already incorporated it into our company’s
DNA.It is part of our mission as a company and obviously,as part of a global society living the effects of a series ofpast wrong actions.It is up to all global citizens to take action at the local level to reverse this. Karisma is therefore
contributing with its grain of sand to minimize these negative effects, increase positive impact, and work with othercompanies, in harmony and as a team.
What would you tell other members of the hotel industry about the importance of incorporating sustainability
models into their operation? I invite all fellow businesspeople to invest in our future, in natural resource conservation, in creating solid and well-integrated societies andcommunities, because this business, our business, depends on it. There are all sorts of opportunities, economic,
social and environmental, and I believe that the only way
to overcome current challenges and to come out on top is
to work as a team, in harmony. On our part, we are totallywilling to do so13.”

21

Sustainable Agriculture Certification:
the farm-to-table approach
The Rainforest Alliance Standard for Sustainable Agriculture is used to certify farms and producers that have sustainable agricultural and cattle-raising practices. The certification seal represents:• more efficient farm management;• reduced soil erosion;• reduced water pollution;• less waste;• improved profitability and competitiveness;• habitat protection;• reduced threats to the environment and humanhealth;• reduced water consumption;• improved conditions for agricultural workers, and• improved collaboration between producers and conservationists.

22

Activity 2.4

Quality or Quantity?
Objectives:6.

To know what the trends in sustainable tourism at an international level are by analyzing what factors translate
into a sustainable quality of life for visitors, local workers,
and the communities tourism has an impact on.

Materials and instructions:
1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

Use Case Study #1 as a teaching tool and show students the presentation “Sustainability as a basic attribute to ensure quality and competitiveness in tourist
services”, created by sustainable tourism expert, Ronald Sanabria, (download https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/curricula/ecotourism, available in Spanish).
Divide students into groups. Give them a flipchartand split the chart into two columns. Ask students towrite the characteristics of quantity-oriented tourism(guests, products, offer of activities, etc.) in one column, and the characteristics quality-oriented tourism
in the other.
Then, ask each team to answer the following questions:• When does quantity-oriented tourism stop being
sustainable?
• How does quality show in sustainable tourism
products?
Ask students to write their answers on the same flipchart to share with the rest of the group.
You can finish the session by asking every team toshare what they learned during the presentation, or
you can split the group into two teams for a subsequent discussion session in the form of a debate.

For the debate, split the group into two. One team will
support the development of conventional mass tourism models since they are a strong economic driver.
The other section will defend that sustainability shouldbe the guiding thread of tourism development. Givestudents time to develop their arguments. Be the debate’s mediator.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• How is sustainable tourism related to the perceptionof quality?
• Based on what has been said, is every mass tourism
model harmful and is every low-impact model sustainable? Teachers should help students understandthat there are absolutes in sustainable tourism (good/ bad). Rather, their appropriateness depends on theway activities are carried out (whether for thousandsof visitors or just a few). Teachers should also explainthat key factors should be considered to provide quality within a sustainability framework.

23

Suggested readings

Trip Advisor. Green Leaders Program.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/GreenLeaders

Changes at the tourist level as a consumer:
John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio (2011). The Power of
the Post-Recession Consumer.
https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00054?gko=cc8b8

Glenn Hasek (2016). Three Years After Launch, TripAdvisor
GreenLeaders Tops 11,000 Participants.
https://www.greenlodgingnews.com/three-years-after-launch-tripadvisor-greenleaders/John Gerzema (2010). Spend Shift inc500.
https://www.slideshare.net/johngerzema/spend-shiftinc500

Changes at the governmental level:
UNWTO (2016). El Turismo y los Objetivos de Desarrollo
Sostenible
https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284417766

Nielsen (2014). Doing Well by Doing Good.
https://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsenglobal/
apac/docs/reports/2014/Nielsen-Global-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Report-June-2014.pdf

UNWTO (2016). El Sector Turístico y los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.
http://www.turismoyods.org/publicacion/#/1/

CREST (2017). The Case for Responsible Travel.
https://www.responsibletravel.org/docs/The%20Case%20
for%20Responsible%20Travel%202017_Final.pdf

UN One Planet – Sustainable Consumption and Production.
One Planet Sustainable Tourism Program.
http://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/sustainable-tourism/
about

CREST (2018). he Case for Responsible Travel.
https://www.responsibletravel.org/docs/The_Case_for_
Responsible_Travel_2018_FINAL_FOR_WEB.pdf
New trends at the industry level:
World Travel & Tourism Council, WTTC (2017). Sustainable
Tourism: The Past, Present, and Future.
https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/special-and-periodic-reports/sustainable-tourism_
past-present-future.pdf?la=en
WTTC (2017). Sustainability Reporting in Travel & Tourism.
https://www.wttc.org/priorities/sustainable-growth/sustainability-reporting/sustainability-reporting-in-travel-and-tourism/

Changes at the level of tourist destinations:Social Progress Imperative. The Social Progress Index.
https://www.socialprogress.org/
Natalia Villalobos (2017). Costa Rica becomes the first country to measure the Social Progress Index in Tourist Centers.
https://www.elpais.cr/2017/01/11/costa-rica-becomes-inthe-first-country-in-measure-the-index-of-social-progress-in-tourist-centers /Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (2018). Índice de Progreso Social (IPS) en los Centros Turísticos de Costa Rica.
https://www.ict.go.cr/es/documentos-institucionales/estadísticas/cifras-turísticas/ips/1005-ips-2017/file.html

TUI Group (2015). Better Holidays, Better World. TUI Sustainability Strategy 2015 -2020.
https://www.tuigroup.com/damfiles/default/tuigroup-15/
en/sustainability/Reporting/TUI-Group-Better-Holidays-Better-World-strategy_EN-6fe1204e90342f321580a4eb81c7dc72.pdf

24Unit 3: Sustainable Tourism and Cultural
Conservation

Comunidad de Señor, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana
RooSeñor, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo

25

Unit 3 - Sustainable
Tourism and Cultural
Conservation
Tourism is rooted in a series of social factors that, whencombined, boost the arrival of tourists and visitors. Social
sciences such as Anthropology, Sociology, Geography, andEconomy, among others, have examined for decades why
people travel.
Discovering new cultures is an important experienceamong tourists. Travelling gives them the opportunity
to approach millenary cultural manifestations. Tourism
brings cultures together, creating social, cultural, and economic exchanges.
Yet, as the number of tourists in cities, heritage sites, andtourist areas soars, an often-precarious social equilibrium
is put at stake. It is thus imperative to make conservation
efforts and implement a proactive and responsible cultural asset management strategy.
Both low-income and high-income countries have a wide
range of expectations about how they want to grow ordiversify the tourism potential of their natural and cultural heritage. Yet, tourism advocates are not always awarethat not all heritage sites are fit for tourism, and that furthering economic activity and infrastructure development
may not be as easy as it seems. The success of a uniqueand highly appealing heritage site depends on the implementation of both site-specific, cross-sectorial policies,
and tourism and asset management protocols. Tourism isa multi-dimensional activity that has an impact on bothsociety and the economy.
Mexico is one in many countries that seek to draw on its
cultural heritage to boost tourism. Heritage is seen as an
asset that can be leveraged to diversify the country’s tourist offer. Also, the value of tangible and intangible heritageis restored as a result of the interest public and private institutions, as well as national and international organizations show in rescue and conservation efforts. The right tothe enjoyment of heritage is one of the pillars of these institutions, whose heritage management policy is based oninternational standards.
UNESCO has recognized that natural and cultural heritage
can spur sustainable territorial development. Heritage isalso a social asset that furthers a sense of belonging andidentity among communities and peoples living within thesame territory. It is important therefore to communicate its
value to the community and use it as a multi-purpose educational tool.
UNESCO World Heritage Status brings along rights, responsibilities, privileges and commitments. World Heritage Status also sparks interest among tourists who seek to see thedistinctive features of a site. Feeding their ego may be another reason why tourists visit these places.

Twenty-four Mexican sites are on the list of UNESCO Cultural Heritage Sites, as well as three natural sites: the Sian
Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, the El Vizcaíno Whale Sanctuary,
and the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California. Mexico’s oral intangible heritage includes the indigenous celebrations of the Day of the Dead and the country’s
indigenous languages.
During their visit, tourists need food, leisure, miscellaneous
services and gift shops to take some evidence of theirtrip home. Cultural heritage is essential to create tourism
products that diversify the local and regional tourist offer.
The downsides of tourism include tangible or intangible
cultural deterioration, unwanted effects on the local identity, society and culture; a drop in the locals’ quality of life,
overdependence on tourism, and a local economy thatweakens as the tourism industry goes into crisis.
When a place’s carrying capacity is exceeded, the volume
of visitors needs to be controlled to prevent the site’s degradation. This way, sustainable cultural tourism is ensured,preventing the decline described in the final stage of the
tourism life cycle model.
Heritage is always at risk of damage, with or without visitors. Yet, tourism must foster conservation and proper useof cultural assets in both theory (promotion campaigns)
and practice (tourism activities as such.)
Conserving the site is nevertheless the responsibility of its
guardians, visitors, promoters, and owners, in other words,
public and private organizations related to cultural heritage, visitors, cultural managers, the local community, andtravel and tourism offices. Tangible and intangible cultural asset management should be collective. Preservation,
good communication and collective enjoyment of theasset should be the common denominator to everyone’s
interests.
The true meaning of heritage materializes when conservation becomes the community’s priority. Heritage management should advance social progress through the social
distribution of wealth and territorial balance. It is therefore
a public responsibility to share proper information about acommunity’s assets and how to leverage them14.
Some populations rely on tourism as a major source of income. Yet, they compromise their own community’s space,
now overflowing with visitors. Guidelines and recommendations about natural and cultural heritage management
have been issued by the United Nations (UN), the United
Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO); the International Council on Monuments and Sites(ICOMOS), the International Council of Museums (ICOM),
the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation
and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. In Mexico, laws and regulations about tourism have been enacted or amended, andgovernment bodies and specialized travel and tourism offices have been opened, at both the federal and the statelevels.

26

Meanwhile, the UN Earth Charter is a serious reminder andan urgent call for action for the nations of the world to stop
the devastation of the world’s natural heritage resulting
from ill-willed action and the pursuit of profit at the expense of community well-being. Cultural and nature tourism are an enormous responsibility for peoples, authorities,
and communities in view of the duty to protect not only
their identity, but life itself.
The positive interdependence between tourism and heritage conservation translates into common economic objectives. Conserving heritage and making it fit for tourism
revitalize the local culture in the eyes of locals as well as
domestic and international travelers. Meanwhile, tourism
needs heritage to expand its offer. A diversified offer adds
value to the tourist’s experience and is therefore appealing to both locals and visitors. Heritage management andconservation are highly compatible with tourism. They arein fact inevitably interdependent.
As a result, the implementation of sustainable development models makes sustainable tourism and heritage
conservation possible. Tourism is a source of income andbenefits for the local community and its economy. Tourism
improves the locals’ quality of life and facilitates cultural
exchanges. Its revenue also helps preserve the community’s cultural, environmental, and urban assets.
Community-based tourism
Mostly found in rural areas, community-based tourism refers to the implementation of a well-planned and sustainable model that depends on the local community’s active
engagement and is meant to benefit locals.
This approach to tourism represents an alternative sourceof income for rural, indigenous or low-income communities that rely on agriculture or live in suburban areas. It also
allows them to preserve their local cultural and natural
heritage.
The five pillars of community-based tourism are15:
1.
Organization – fostering integration, inclusion, participation and leadership within the community throughthe evaluation of the community members’ abilities
and the project’s long-term sustainability according
to the community’s organizational structure.
2.
Territorial management – highlighting the value of local resources, empowering communities, and teaching them how to sustainably manage these resources
and preserve the environment.
3. Cultural revitalization – preserving the community’scustoms, way of life, cultural manifestations, traditions,and cuisine.
4. Knowledge transfer – passing on knowledge, wisdom,traditions, and the history of the place and its peoples
to newer generations.
5. Solidarity economy – distributing the benefits of tourism among the community and within the local territory. Employment opportunities should be created for
locals, preventing their migration to urban areas. It istherefore essential to ensure continuous training andsupport from experts across the value chain and tokeep the community permanently engaged.

27

Case study 2

Entrepreneurial communities - Síijil Noh Ha: The
Birth of the Great Water
An environmentallyfriendly andcommunity-based
benchmark16.
The Issue
More than 16 million visitors arrived in the state of Quintana
Roo in 2017, 5.3% more than in 2016, according to a reportfrom the Quintana Roo Department of Tourism (SEDETUR)17.
According to SEDETUR’s report, spillover was estimated atmore than 8 billion USD, 207.9 million more than in 2016. Approximately 11.5 million tourists visited Quintana Roo, translating into an average occupancy rate of 79.7% (3.8% higher
than in 2016.) Nearly 50 airlines fly into Quintana Roo from20 Mexican states and almost 100 international airports.
More than 24 million visitors arrived at the Cancun International Airport alone in 2018 (10.2% more than in 2016.)
Additionally, tourists are increasingly interested in discovering the archaeological wonders of the state of Quintana
Roo. The National Institute of Anthropology and History(INAH) reported that in 2017 more than 3 million visitors
visited the state’s archaeological sites (26% more than in
201618.
In this context, are rural communities actively participating
and benefitting from the boom of tourist hotspots in thestate of Quintana Roo? The government and NGOs havelaunched multiple initiatives to incorporate rural communities into the state’s soaring tourism industry, either
by creating employment opportunities or a community-based offer.
Researchers have documented, however, that not every
development initiative succeeds. One study concluded
that funding has made communities and projects dependent on subsidies, instead building solid self-managementand decision-making skills.
Ecotourism has not spurred positive change in communities since the relationship among stakeholders as well as
custom-made intervention strategies have not been appropriate, especially in indigenous communities that remain highly marginalized and impoverished. Ecotourism
is only successful if stakeholders and their interests seek
community well-being and conservation.19
There are, however, success stories that show that community-based tourism can be a beneficial alternative
source of income for organized communities. Such is thecase of the Síijil Noh Há eco-park (“the Birth of the Great
Water”) located in the ejido of Felipe Carrillo Puerto (histo-

ry in the text box20), just in the middle of the 1,230-hectare
Much Kanan K´aax reserve.
History of the Felipe Carrillo Puerto Ejidoo21
The Felipe Carrillo Puerto ejido was annexed to the X-Hazil
ejido in 1935, but was declared independent in the 1940s.
Between 1950 and 1980, the ejido authorities leased theland to timber companies. During the 1970s, the ejido community produced wood sleepers (crossties) for railways.
The railway track construction project was led by the National Fund for Public Business Activities (FONAFE.) Tropical
hardwoods were the main raw material used in the tracks.
In 1985, the ejido community participated in the Pilot Forestry Plan, promoted by the government of Quintana Roo,and the now extinct Undersecretary of Forestry. The Felipe
Carrillo Puerto ejido then became a founding partner of theOrganization of Wood-Producing Ejidos of the SC Mayan
Area (OEPFZM) in 1986. During this period, the ejido bought
logging machinery and a sawmill. This new economic activity meant that the ejido had to learn to manage its forest resources. The ejido management office was createdas a result and was funded with the revenue obtained byselling wood, renting houses and other buildings, charging
fees for natural resource exploitation, and selling land forurbanization.
As time went by, however, overexploitation of the ejido
raised concern in the community and sparked growinginterest in protecting their forest. In 2005, a land management study (EOT) was conducted in the ejido to document
land use, create a future development plan based on potential challenges, and to regulate natural resource exploitation.
Two voluntary reserves were created at the request of thecommunity of Felipe Carrillo Puerto. The first reserve wascreated in 2005, while the land management study was
under way. A 19,024.04-hectare area, the reserve is located East of the ejido and neighbors the Sian Kaán Biosphere
Reserve. Some of the reasons this area was turned into areserve was that it is highly prone to waterlogging yearround, and it is considerably inaccessible. It was therefore
not appropriate for productive activities.
Two years later, in 2007, the second reserve was created.
It was named Much’ Kanan K’áax, which means “Together we protect the forest” in the Yucatec Maya language.
The reserve is located South of the ejido and covers 1,230
hectares. This area was turned into a reserve to strengthen
the carbon sequestration efforts the ejido had engaged in2006 when they received support from the NGO U’ yo’ olché
and funding from the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR.) One of the purposes of this reserve is to preserve thetropical forest through massive reforestation. Later, carbon
bonds started to be sold in national and international markets.

28

In 2010 Much’ Kanan K’áax was certified by the National
Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) as avoluntary conservation area for 25 years. Funded by the
National Commission for the Development of Indigenous
Peoples (CDI), the Forestry Conservation and Sustainable
Management Project (PROCYMAF), and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP), the Síijil Noh Há eco-park
was created in 2008 inside the Much’ Kanan K’áax Reserve.

The Solution
The ejido of Felipe Carrillo Puerto was created between
1935 and 1944, and was awarded a total surface area of
47,000 hectares. As described by the Secretary of the ejido’s board, María Eugenia Yan Pérez, in the past 25 years,
the ejido’s economic activities have included the sale ofsustainable wood, and voluntary management of three reserves. Additionally, 2,800 hectares provide environmental
services. Forests in this area are mostly of the evergreen
tropical type, characterized by their high botanical diversity, the dominant species being Brosimum alicastrum(locally known as the Ramón tree) and Manilkara zapota(sapota)22.
In 2006, the Felipe Carrillo Puerto ejido decided to create
an eco-park offering ecotourism activities. Visitors can explore the lagoon and discover the local fauna, flora, water
springs, culture, and traditions without placing pressure on
natural resources. The project was launched in 2008 whenthe main lagoon was opened to the public. Yet, the park
was officially inaugurated on June 27th, 2009. Its purpose
is to provide an alternative source of income and employment opportunities to the indigenous communities of theFelipe Carrillo Puerto ejido, keeping natural conservation at
the core of the park’s mission23.The National Commission
for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI) helped
launch operations. According to Mrs. Yan Pérez, “we did notknow almost anything about the lagoon, but professor Sebastian Proust helped us launch a carbon sequestration
pilot, training us in biodiversity, natural resource preservation, and funding strategies. It was a long and complicatedprocess, but we finally obtained reserve status, and we are
now another possible destination for visitors coming to the
Sian Ka’an reserve. The park is also a very popular destination for locals given its close proximity to the Felipe Carrillo
Puerto ejido. Forest conservation progressively gave way
to other sustainable development projects” [translated
quote.]

lifestyle. The park operates in harmony with the natural environment, stands out for its plant and animal biodiversity,and is managed by Mayan people, who are experts in local
culture and history.”24 [translated quote.] Visitors arriving at
Síijil Noh Há come mainly from Playa del Carmen, Cancun,
and Tulum, and are tired of the hustle and bustle of urban
areas. We receive both Mexican and foreign tourists fromcountries such as Spain and England, who often find us on
Facebook. The park receives both individual visitors andgroups. They also have specialized staff to care for specific needs. According to Mrs. Yan Pérez, if a visitor does not
speak Spanish “that is not a problem. We have staff from
Felipe Carrillo Puerto who are fluent in other languages. We
make visitors feel at home in Síijil Noh Há. We offer them unforgettable experiences, such as watching the sunset froma kayak, watching out for tropical birds, waking up to theirchirp, and filling your lungs with fresh air. You leave filledwith inner peace and thinking ‘Coming to Síijil Noh Há was
great!’” [translated quote.]
Other domestic visitors come from states such as Oaxaca and Chiapas to share their experience and learn fromthe Síijil Noh Há’s eco-friendly approach to tourism and its
best practices to replicate them in their communities of origin. “We use the land sustainably, we have ecotechnology
solutions in place, we monitor birds and mammals, we areplanting plants and trees back, and we have a carbon sequestration project operating since 2010.

The park is currently managed by the board of the ejido.
The park’s income is used to cover the cost of the services
provided, and profits are saved for three years. After that
period, and at the end of the board’s three-year term, profits are divided among the founders of the ejido.
The park offers kayaking, educational trekking, mountainbiking, bird watching, 6 cabins, and a campsite to spend
the night at. Environmental education courses are also offered to the young to teach them how the reserve is divided. In the words if Mrs. Yan Pérez, “Síijil Noh Há is a leisuredestination offering relaxation, comfort, fun, direct contact with nature, and most importantly, a comprehensive
learning experience. Different applications of ecotechnology are available to show how we can lead a sustainable29

Our ecotechnology solutions include solar panels, organic
waste sorting and upcycling to feed animals and produce
organic fertilizer for our gardens”, said Mrs. Yan Pérez (seetext box25). Additionally, the park is working on a projectwith the National Institute of Social Economy (INAES) toplace GPS camera traps and monitor the local fauna andflora.

The Outcome
In terms of conservation, the 1,230-hectare reserve of Much
Kanan K´aax is home to more than 90 different species26:
of crocodiles, armadillos, snakes, bats, butterflies, monkeys, jaguars, raccoons, and crabs. Its lagoons are home
to manatees, bottlenose dolphins, hawksbill, loggerhead,and river turtles; and a myriad fish species. Ospreys, frigate
birds, pelicans, bare-throated tiger herons, and many other birds inhabit the local mangroves.
From a socioeconomic standpoint, after ten years in operation, the Síijil Noh Há eco-park is now a substantial sourceof employment for [#] number of people and fosters theconsumption of local goods. With a carrying capacity of
40-50 people per day, an estimated 700 to 1,200 people
visit the reserve every month during high season (such as
Spring Break and Summer), according to data from 2015.
The yearly average lies between 300 and 350 visitors permonth27.

The Takeaways
According to Mrs. Yan Pérez, “without ecotourism, local natural areas and their grandeur would remain unknown andunprotected. One of the main lessons learned is that continuous training is essential. Training has been key to providing good customer service, and staff training cannot beinterrupted. One of the major challenges is teaching children from the schools surrounding the lagoon the importance of protecting biodiversity. Mrs. Yan Pérez highlightsthat “[she] always goes to training sessions and wildlife
monitoring activities with [her] daughters when they areout of school. [They] want to invite teachers and students
to the park so they learn not only in theory but in practice”[translated quote.]

Ecotechnology at Síijil Noh HáSource: http://lagunasiijilnohha.blogspot.com/• Solar energy system: A solar cell is powered by siliconcells that transform sunlight into electric power (12V.) Power is then transferred to a solar charge controller, a device that regulates the power flowing into
the batteries and cuts the supply when these are fully
charged. An inverter is also used to turn 12 V power into
110 V power.
• Energy-saving stove (Tumben Ko´óben): In this stove,
firewood is lit through the cooktop.
• Biodigester: A biodigester is an insulated deposit
where anaerobic micro-organisms decompose organic waste. A biodigester is used to convert animal
manure into energy, produce biogas, purify wastewater, and produce biofertilizer.
• Soapy water filters and leach fields: gray water is sent
to tanks or sediment traps to separate solid wastefrom liquids. Water flows into a trench filled with different stones. Highly water-resistant plants are planted into the trench. Plants oxygenate water throughphotosynthesis. Only biodegradable soaps are used.
Bleach is never used since it would kill the plants andmicroorganisms that remove waste from water.
• Dry toilets: Dry toilets are made of cement. Feces arecovered in sawdust and then used as compost fortrees or garden areas.
• Rainwater catchments: In order to save water andtake advantage of the precious liquid rain provides,
rainwater is collected, stored, and used for cleaning,
doing the laundry, and watering green areas.

As described by Mrs. Yan Pérez, present needs include
maintenance to docks, boats, the bird watching tower,
solar panels, a wind power source, and kayaks to offer abetter service at the cabins. In the future, better trash collection services, an anti-poaching system, weather-resistant communication services, and utilities will also be necessary28.
“My main takeaway as a human being, as a mother, andas a worker, is that it is essential to take proper care of theenvironment. In fact, I am replicating at home some of
the things I have learned at the park. To me, that’s the real
meaning of sustainability. It’s taking care of the environment, it’s conserving and loving what we have to make itlast forever”, concludes Yan Pérez [translated quote.]

30

Activity 3.1

The building blocks of community-based tourism
Objectives:
To identify the key elements of sustainable, community-based tourism by analyzing the case of Síijil Noh Há tobetter understand the reserve’s development model andto show students how this methodology could be applied
to their communities.

Materials and instructions:
1.
2.
3.

4.

Split students into small groups and give them a copyof the case study “Entrepreneurial communities”, included in this guide.
After reading the case study, ask students to analyze
the key elements that have made Síijil Noh Há’s intervention successful (10 minutes.).
Give each group a flipchart and markers to write
down: 1) the key activities, 2) the stakeholders, and 3)
the values that have been at the core of Síijil Noh Há’s
development.
Ask students to paste their work on a visible spot andexplain their conclusions to the rest of the group.
Teachers should guide a discussion based on the student’s comments.

Recap:
Teachers can do the session’s recap by asking students towrite a list of values, behaviors and stakeholders that werecommon to all presentations. Ask the following prompting
questions to summarize takeaways:• How should the [actions + values + stakeholders] relation take place to ensure that community-based tourism is sustainable?
• Which is the most important element in this relationship? Why?
• How could you implement this approach in your community?

31

Case study 3

Sharing our legacy and creating job opportunities
for the young and the elderly
The community ofSeñor: a landmark caseof sustainability andcommunity-based
tourism29.
The Issue
More than 16 million visitors arrived in the state of Quintana
Roo in 2017, a 5.3% increase in contrast to 2016, according
to a report from the Quintana Roo Department of Tourism(SEDETUR)30. Spillover for that year is estimated at morethan 8 billion USD, 207.9 million more than in 2016. Approximately 11.5 million tourists visited Quintana Roo, translating
into an average occupancy rate of 79.7% (3.8% higher thanin 2016.) Nearly 50 airlines fly into Quintana Roo from 20
Mexican states and almost 100 international airports. Morethan 23 million visitors arrived at the Cancun International
Airport alone in 2018 (10.2% more than in 2016.)
Additionally, tourists are increasingly interested in discovering the natural and cultural wonders of the state of
Quintana Roo. In this context, are rural communities actively participating and benefitting from the boom of tourist hotspots in the state of Quintana Roo? This case study
describes the efforts made by the community of Señor toleverage the state’s booming tourism industry for the benefit of local families.
Señor is a community of nearly 3,000 inhabitants, located in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana
Roo. Ninety-nine percent of its inhabitants are of Mayan
descent, and 80% speak Maya. At a 73,400-hectare area,
Señor is one of the largest ejidos in its municipality and includes the famous Blue Lagoon of Bacalar. Its perfect combination of natural splendor, vast rainforest, and rich cultural legacy of its people are highly appealing to tourists.
For more than 20 years, Marcos Canté has actively defended the land rights of the community of Señor for people to discover its natural wonders and the cultural legacy
of “Los Abuelos” [Spanish for “The Grandparents”], a groupof elders ages 90+ that use oral tradition to keep the storyof the Caste War of Yucatán (1847-1901) alive.

of income for its people. Marcos’ effort has not been easy
due to what he thinks is a lack of vision on the part of themembers of the ejido about how the community’s naturaland cultural assets should be used in the long term.

The Solution
A community-based ecotourism model was developed tooffer job opportunities to community members, considering their skills and distinctive traits. As a result, the Xyaat
tourism cooperative was created in 2003 to offer culturaland nature tours to local and foreign visitors.
The Xyaat cooperative is currently run by community
members. It coordinates and promotes the work of local
craftspeople, the community’s history, and local Maya traditions. They offer small group tours and hire community
members of all ages. For example, the young drive motorcycle taxis, take pictures, shoot video, and are in charge ofsocial media, while elders narrate the local history to tourists, and women treat visitors with local cuisine.
Local tours include, among other activities, a visit to a
medicine plant garden, a local elder who tells the story of
the Caste War of Yucatán, a stingless bee farm, and a textile workshop specialized in spinning and weaving hemp.

The Outcome
Profits go to the community and are used to promote thelocal culture and provide economic stability to local families. Profits help fund other initiatives as well, such as covering transportation fees to ceremonial centers for certain
Maya authorities during local festivities. Profits also help organize environmental education courses for local children,
who learn traditional handcrafting techniques and how totake care of nature.
Local children and youth have become so active in protecting their natural resources that they have created“Guardianes de la Naturaleza” [Spanish for “Nature Watchers”], a group that organizes various environmental education activities. For instance, the “Águilas Elegantes” group[Spanish for “The Graceful Eagles”] organizes bird watchingsessions every Saturday. According to local adults, this activity has helped the young discover and appreciate theircommunity’s local flora and fauna.

For two decades, Marcos has engaged in negotiations
and occasional confrontation with the local community
to reach agreements and open the natural and cultural
splendor of Señor to tourism in order to create a source

32

Innovation
The Xyaat cooperative has progressively grown stronger
thanks to a community-based development and management model, despite the difficulties in reaching agreements with neighboring ejido members. Persistence led
Xyaat to become a member of the Maya Ka’an community-based tourism network (see text box), the members ofwhich are recognized as travel highlights of Quintana Roo.
The network includes cultural, nature, and adventure tours
within the municipalities of Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto,
and José María Morelos. Other tours allow visitors to experience local lifestyles, interact with locals, and learn fromtheir traditions and history.

Maya Ka’an is a new must-see in the Mexican Caribbean, offering unforgettable experiences amid
outstanding natural wonders and the historic andcultural legacy of the Maya people.
This eco-friendly destination grows the tourist offer
of the state of Quintana Roo thanks to its sustainableapproach and conservation efforts in the World Heritage Site of the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an.
Maya Ka’an also promotes community and regional
development through sustainable projects in Maya
communities dedicated to handcrafts, traditional
medicine, and preserves, among others. Maya Ka’an
furthers community engagement in conservation
efforts and proper natural resource management
for the benefit of the communities themselves.

By becoming a member of the Maya Ka’an network, the Xyaat cooperative of Señor increased the quality of its tours,
as well as its commitment towards becoming a role model
for community development projects that benefit locals.
In return, the Maya Ka’an network found a new channel toshowcase its offer and attract tourists.

The Takeaways
Opportunities for the young have prevented them from migrating to urban areas in search for a job. Some years ago,
only women, children, and elders lived in the community.
Today, young people are willingly staying and working tohelp their community. This has directly benefitted the local
economy and instilled a sense of identity and belonging
in younger generations. Moreover, in the words of Marcos
Cortés, “the traditions of Maya elders are being transferred
to younger generations, traditions that would otherwise fall
into oblivion” [translated quote.]
Learn more...

The Caste War of Yucatán31
The Caste War of Yucatán was a conflict between theMaya, the white (Spanish-born individuals and criollos),and the mestizo populations of the Yucatán peninsula. The
war was waged between July 26th, 1847 and January 22nd,1901. The fiercest battles were fought in the early years of
the conflict, which then turned into a 50-year guerrilla war.

For more info, visit: www.mayakaan.travel

Background
Since the Spanish conquest, indigenous peoples were displaced from their land. Moreover, many were enslaved orforced into serfdom. They were forced to work in haciendas, plantations owned by Spanish-born individuals, white
criollos, and mestizos. They were scantily remunerated andforced to spend their money in the tiendas de raya, a hacienda’s “company” store. Indigenous workers would often spend a lifetime trying to pay boundless or hereditarydebts accrued by buying at those stores. They were also
severely repressed. In fact, their situation did not substantially improve after the Mexican Independence. The Mayan
population’s rights were far behind those of the white population, even though Mexico never had a formal caste system in place.
In this context, José Justo Corro proclaimed in 1836 Reforma de las Siete Leyes [Spanish for “The 7-Law Reform”], aproposal that foresaw the creation of a centrist state, unleashing conflict in various states, including Yucatán, which
decided to separate from Mexico. During this period, arms
were given to most of the state’s population, including theMaya, who in turn gained a lot of fighting experience.
The Maya population then planned an uprising. Having
been armed during the Yucatán separation movement,
they planned to use those weapons in their favor, andwere categorically unwilling to give them up. However, thegovernment of Yucatán found out that they were gathering at Jacinto Pat’s hacienda, collecting weapons and foodsupplies. This rang alarm bells in the government due to an
imminent uprising. They then decided to neutralize the enemy. Manuel Ay was apprehended, accused of conspiracy,and executed on July 26th, 1847. The population of Tepich,
Quintana Roo, was also heavily attacked.

33

The unfolding of the conflict
Hostilities set out after these events. Cecilio Chi, Maya
chieftain of Tepich, directed an attack on the town’s white
population, killing all of them. Rumors said that only one
white person was left alive to carry the news. Hostilities
were implacable from both sides. The government of Yucatán ruthlessly repressed the indigenous population, witha special focus on eliminating Maya chieftains. Indigenous
groups, in turn, systematically exterminated the white population. The situation was so dire that many fled South, to a
British colony known as British Honduras.

for their reincorporation into Mexico. The war broke into a
religious guerilla with the creation of the Cruzoob movement, who engaged in military activity until 1901, when government troops captured Bacalar.
The post-conflict scenario
Much as the war is officially over, the quality of life of the
Maya population has not improved. A substantial portion of
the 20th century passed before the issue was addressed.

Santiago Méndez completely lost control of the situationand sought unsuccessfully for foreign support. The Mexican
government offered a cease-fire in return for Yucatán’s reincorporation to Mexico. Méndez eventually resigned andwas replaced by Miguel Barbachano. The new governor
started negotiations with Jacinto Pat, but the proposal
was rejected by Cecilio Chi. Internal differences among
the Maya would later lead to their downfall. Additionally,
the Maya interrupted their attacks to sow and harvest theirland, as well as to conduct religious ceremonies.
The Maya continued to weaken. First, their two main chieftains, Pat and Chi, were killed by other Maya leaders. Moreover, the government of Yucatán obtained logistic andmilitary support from the Mexican government, in return34

Activity 3.2

Interpreting community-based tourism
Objectives:
To determine if community-based tourism is a feasible
alternative and to discuss its importance for community development by examining the success story of thecommunity of Señor in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana
Roo.

Materials and instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

Split students into small groups and give them a copyof case study #3, included in this guide.
In pairs, ask students to write down a list of elements
and situations that were key to the development ofcommunity-based tourism in Señor.
Ask each pair to share their list with the rest of thegroup.
Break into teams of four or five people. Give them aflipchart and markers to make a graphic representation (a diagram or a drawing) of what community-based tourism means for the community of Señor.
Teachers can guide this exercise by asking the following prompting questions:• What objects serve as visual representation ofcommunity-based tourism in Señor?
• What symbols or icons embody the project’s
values, activities and stakeholders?
When finished drawing, each team should share
their work with the rest of the group, explaining theirdrawings and the key elements they picked. Teachers should motivate students to explain what values,
activities and stakeholders were incorporated into thedrawings.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap of thecollective discussion by asking the following prompting
questions:• How was knowledge built during this session?
• How can art help us learn and share knowledge withothers?
• What impact has community-based tourism had in
the community of Señor, its youth, and its elders?

35Activity 3.3

Folk tales and legends
Objectives:

Recap:To rescue the cultural legacy of the elders living in thestudents’ communities of origin by recovering folk tales
and legends, creating a sense of identity and belonging
among younger generations.

At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• Why is it important to appreciate our cultural heritage?
• How can sustainable tourism help conserve our communities’ heritage?
• How can youth help conserve our heritage?

Materials and instructions:
1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

Invite one or two elders (they can be family members
or friends of the students) to share a story, a folk tale ora legend from the community. It would be even better
if the story is be shared in Spanish and in the community’s indigenous language.
During the storytelling session, students should takenote of the cultural values in the story, as well as symbols or icons that are representative of the community (e.g. traditional foods, folk dances, traditions, etc.)
Students should then share their notes with the rest of
the group.
Teachers should guide a discussion based on the students’ input asking the following prompting questions:
why is it important to appreciate our community’s oral
traditions? What values do these tales and legends tell
us about? How do we feel about our community andour country having such a rich cultural legacy?
If possible, students should visit an elementary school
and tell the same story or tale using teaching materials such as drawings, visual aid, real-life objects, or
puppets.

36

Unit 4: Sustainable Tourism and Environmental
Conservation

Reserva Natural Río Secreto, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo

37

Unit 4 - Sustainable tourism and environmental
conservation
Tourism is an essential tool towards natural conservationand community development. As environmental awareness increased in recent decades, a more environmentallyfriendly trend in tourism arose, making tourism crucial forenvironmental conservation.
Tourism is an activity that entails the movement of thousands of people around the world. It brings substantial
economic benefits to the host country (and the global
economy). However, tourism has major impacts on the environment, such as accelerating climate change, the lossof biodiversity and wilderness, resource overexploitation orenvironmentally harmful waste production.
For example, a holidaymaker drinks up to 7% more water
than a local. The environmental impacts intensify in thehost country, but they are also felt at a global scale. Ecological tourism or ecotourism is, thus, an alternative that
protects the environment. Ecotourism offers tourists a
more environmentally friendly and healthy option that also
improves the local communities’ conditions.
Although Mexico has an extremely high potential to offer
new ecotourism activities thanks to its diverse geography,
weather, and soils; its countless and varied ecosystems,
its fascinating natural attractions and formidable cultural richness, the government and national and foreign investors are still promoting conventional tourism development models. This approach seeks the expansion of theso-called Integrally Planned Tourist Centers (e.g. Cancun,
Ixtapa, Huatulco Bays), which involve the construction oflarge-scale hotel zones, recreational and commercial centers. To a lesser extent, this model seeks the consolidationof traditional beaches. Only recently did the Department ofTourism (SEDETUR) and private operators start to show aninterest in more responsible tourism development models.
Biodiversity and environmental well-being are paramountto human existence and life on our planet. Our cultures andproductive activities depend on animal and plant species.
For instance, there would be no fruits and vegetables -and,in general, no food production- without the ecosystem services provided by bees through flower pollination. Birds arealso essential to the proliferation of plants and forests because they feed off fruits and spread their seeds.
Tourism has a special relationship with the environment,
as it is deeply related to natural assets. The combinationof beautiful landscapes, abundant animal and plant species, heritage sites, and indigenous and local cultures are
the main reasons why tourist visit countries like Mexico. The
conservation of these goods and resources is extremely
important. Tourism must therefore ensure that its activities
and infrastructure do not damage biological and cultural
assets. Rather, it should promote, support and contributeto their care.

Preserving natural heritage is essential, since it is a tourist resource, as well as the reason why Mexico is known
and visited by many. Nature is part of Mexico’s identity asa tourist destination and as a country. Each inhabitant is
responsible of passing on the country’s heritage in goodconditions to future generations. Without our natural resources we will lose our identity and livelihood. Sustainable
tourism depends on environmental protection and pays
special attention to the depletion and deterioration of renewable and non-renewable resources32.
Numerous environmental issues call for urgent attention:soil deterioration, desertification and erosion, water stress,
excessive use of fossil fuels, energy consumption, climatechange, loss of biodiversity, all kinds of pollution (soil, air,water, light, noise), landscape deterioration (visual andecological), waste generation, over-consumption andhuman overpopulation and massification. Tourism cantackle these issues through concrete actions due to its
scope. Nowadays, almost anyone can travel and the costsof travel and recreational activities have fallen sharply. At
some point in our lives, we have all taken a trip outside ourplace of residence. At some point we are and will be tourists and we need to hold ourselves accountable for it.
Climate change and the use of fossil fuels must also be
addressed by the tourism sector. Activity-specific aspects
should be considered, such as travel trends, distance traveled, and whether to offer non-motorized transportation at
the tourist destination (e.g. bicycles, electric cars or kayaks,
if appropriate), among others.
A trans-continental passenger travelling by air will undoubtedly use far more fuel and therefore issue more
greenhouse gases than a tourist travelling in his or her own
state or country. When choosing a tourist destination, miles
covered should be considered to reduce our environmental footprint.
In order to avoid greenhouse gas emissions, the tourism
sector encourages restaurants and hotels to consume domestic and especially local products. This is a very goodinitiative. Food transportation to or from other entities orcountries is highly energy-intensive. Some hotels havegone one step ahead and created their own fruit and vegetable gardens. Another positive environmental alternative is offering dishes made with sustainable local products, e.g. certified organic wines, GMO-free, native corn
tortillas; or non-banned seafood.
Biodiversity (diversity of living beings) is a fundamental
natural asset that is highly appealing to tourists. However,biodiversity continues to be decimated, which is why the
tourism sector must commit itself to not deteriorate it further. It is important to be familiar with the threatened or endangered animals and plants under Official Mexican Standard NOM-059. Illegal wildlife trade is largely due to the factthat animals and plants are bought and taken home by
tourists, who are often unaware that they are committing
a crime and causing serious environmental damage.
Among the most emblematic endangered species aresea turtles, cacti, parrots, macaws, reptiles and monkeys.
Souvenir shops should not sell their products (purses, orna-

38

ments, furs, etc.) nor should resorts exhibit or local species
without the necessary permits from the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT.)
Biodiversity could also be conserved by planting nativeplant gardens in hotels and tourism developments giventhat they are already adapted to the local conditions, andrequire less water, chemicals and maintenance. Native
gardens attract local fauna. It is important to inform tourists about the existence of these small natural areas, using
signs and information on local species. This contributes tothe interaction of visitors and local biodiversity, raising environmental awareness. Some tourist attractions have wildlion cubs, tigers and monkeys tourists can take pictures
with. Animals must only be there if the site is legally allowed
to exhibit wild animals.
Soil, air, and water pollution are fundamental issues thatmust be addressed by the tourism industry. Management
plans and best practice manuals should be created toprotect and use resources efficiently, reducing waste, sustainably managing valuable materials, and reincorporating them through a circular economy model.
Environmental services
Environmental services are the benefits nature gives to theglobal and local community. From an economic standpoint, local populations obtain economic gain. Material
services provide provisions, ecosystem regulation andsupport, while cultural assets create an identity and asense of belonging and transcendence.
The ecological processes of ecosystems provide humanity with a wide and important range of essential services
for free. These include: keeping the atmosphere in gaseous state (a feature that regulates the climate); improving water quality; controlling hydrological cycles, including
reducing serious floods and droughts; protecting coastal
areas through coral reef and sand dune systems, fertilizing
and conserving soils, controlling crop plagues and disease
vectors, pollinizing crops, disposing of food from water andland environments; and keeping a vast “genetic library”
humankind has thrived on, from crops and domesticatedanimals to medicine and industrial products33.
Environmental services are directly dependent on “healthy”
ecosystems and biodiversity. When ecosystems are degraded, so are the services they provide. Yet, while theeconomic impact of environmental degradation is always
measured, the functional impact done to ecosystems islargely ignored, since it is only considered indirect or collateral damage.
The problem lies in traditional academic views about theeconomy. Any definition of value that does not stem fromthe main economic agents, or which is not translated intoa market transaction, is disregarded. Despite asymmetric information available about the subject, the real costs
and benefits of a transaction may be clearer for those thatshow an interest in the subject. However, indirect costs, i.e.
externalities, are more or less systematically ignored.

39

Activity 4.1

Environmental services

Objectives:
To understand what environmental services are froman ecosystem-based view by identifying and analyzing
the definitions and classifications of environmental services. Students will thus understand the value of natural
assets and their link to sustainable tourism.

3.

4.
5.

Materials and instructions:1.
2.

Download and present the material on environmental
services (https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/curricula/ecotourism, available in Spanish)Through a game activity, ask students to split into four
teams. Each team will share what they learned in thepresentation about:• Provision or supply of environmental services• Regulatory environmental services• Cultural environmental services• Environmental support services

Ask each team to create its own definition of one ofthese environmental services. Give them a flip chart
to draw a mind map of all the key concepts related tothat environmental service.
When ready, ask them to present their definition to thegroup, as well as their mind map.
Ask a different team to provide an example of one of
the environmental services discussed above, preferably one that provides information about the services
provided in their community.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• What environmental services are related to tourist activities in my community?
• How can tourism influence the well-being ofenvironmental services?

40

Activity 4.2

Building an ecosystem profile
Objectives:
To learn about the main ecosystems in the state of Quintana Roo, their ecosystem value and the environmental
services they provide by profiling the ecosystems in the
Peninsula. To promote knowledge of the state’s natural
capital, as well as the importance of appreciating thoseassets.

4.

5.
6.

Materials and instructions:
1.
2.

3.

Download and present the material on Quintana Roo’s
ecosystems from https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/
curricula/ecotourism (available in Spanish)
Have a draw and split students into five teams. Eachteam will be assigned one of the five ecosystems described in the reading material:• Rainforests• Aquifers• Wetlands/Mangroves• Coastal dunes• Coral reefs
Give each group a flip chart, color paper, markers,
crayons, scissors, tape, and magazines or newspapers. Each team must make a poster or visual representation of the assigned ecosystem including 1)
its general ecological characteristics, 2) the environ-mental services it provides and 3) its link to tourism in
Quintana Roo.
Once the posters are completed, ask the teams toplace themselves around the room according to thelocation of the ecosystems in Quintana Roo, in theform of an ecosystem profile34.
Once the ecosystems are organized in sequence,each team will present their work, commenting on thethree points requested in paragraph 3.
Guides the teams’ presentations commenting on thevalue of the environmental services they provide, thevalue of natural capital for tourism and the importance of sustainability in economic activities.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• Did you know about environmental services provided
by ecosystems?
• What do you think about how vulnerable ecosystems
are to high-impact economic activities such as tourism in Quintana Roo?

41

Activity4.3

Value of Ecosystems

Objectives:

3.

To recognize the value of ecosystems according to theirecosystem services and to discuss the key role of tourism in their conservation through a case study from anecosystem in Quintana Roo.

4.

When students are ready, ask students to share
their opinion in pairs. Assign a specific time for thisactivity.
Start a group discussion based on the questions
about the reading.

Materials and instructions:1.

2.

Download and give students a copy of an article on
the value of Cozumel’s mangroves (https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/curricula/ecotourism , available in
Spanish)Ask students to individually write a summary of thereading, answering the following prompting questions:• What is the importance of giving ecosystem services an economic value?
• How does Cozumel benefit from knowing the economic value of its mangroves?
• How is the economic value of mangroves linked totourism in Cozumel?

Activity 4.4

Interconnectivity

Objectives:

Recap:

To identify the interrelation between the ecosystems of
Quintana Roo, according to the environmental services
they provide, and by elaborating a matrix that shows theinterdependence of ecosystems to promote in students aholistic view about ecosystems that gives importance tothe conservation of natural capital.

At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• Why is it important to know how ecosystems are interconnected?
• Is an ecosystem more important than the rest? Why?
• How can sustainable tourism help promote the idea ofinterconnectivity between ecosystems?

Materials and instructions:
Based on activities 4.1 and 4.2, ask all students to create amatrix linking the environmental services each ecosystemprovides as follows:

Rainforests

Rainforest

Aquifers

Wetlands /Mangroves

Coastal
dunes

Coral
reefs

Singlewatersource forsurfaceecosystems

42

Case study 4

Raising environmental awareness from the Earth’s
bowelsRio Secreto, an
example of planningand operation of a
tourist service basedon conservationand environmental
education35.
The Issue“Making tourism more sustainable is not just about controlling and managing the negative impacts of the industry. Tourism is in a very special position to benefit local
communities, economically and socially, raise awarenessin them and increase their engagement in environmental
conservation efforts. Economic development and environmental protection should not be considered opposing
forces when it comes to tourism: they must be pursued
hand in hand, they must be aspirations that can and must
reinforce each other”36. [translated quote.] However, there
are more and more examples of tourist destinations that
seek to be like other destinations but are negatively affected by the lack of appropriate territorial planning and environmental and social considerations.
Fortunately, some companies operate with a clear understanding of the environmental conditions and constraints
that, if unaddressed, could affect the very essence of theirwork. Moreover, some companies build on that knowledge
to raise environmental awareness in their customers, collaborators and surrounding communities. Such is the caseof Rio Secreto, a natural reserve with a semi-flooded cavesystem located in the municipality of Solidaridad in Quintana Roo, Mexico. In Rio Secreto, visitors can go on tours tosee different types of rock formations, such as stalactites
and stalagmites, and swim in crystalline groundwater.
This is a notably fragile ecosystem, and disorderly arrivals
could negatively impact the natural attractions of Rio Secreto.
By and large, the only source of fresh water in the YucatánPeninsula is in the subsoil, since there are few superficial
rivers. The Peninsula’s groundwater deposits are also oneof the country’s most important sources of freshwater.
The natural resources above the ground would not survive
without them. Due to the karstic, fragile, porous and permeable soil, any above ground activity impacts subsurface water deposits.

A decade ago, in the area where Rio Secreto is today,
land use was changed from forest area to residential status. In other words, “the threat of urban sprawl appeared.
Groundwater deposits were not included in the local development plans because the plan had only taken the topside
into account even though all surface life depends on waterthat lies underground.”, explains Ana Lilia Córdoba, general
director of Centinelas del Agua.

The Solution
In view of the situation, efforts were made to create the Hydrogeological Corridor of the Rio Secreto Natural Reserve,
which was already registered in the urban development
plan of Playa del Carmen, Solidaridad. This became the first
corridor of this kind, but great support had to be sought
due to the risk that changes in political leadership couldchange the urban development plan. As a result, in 2012,civil society organization Centinelas del Agua (Spanish for“The Water Sentinels”) was created to serve as Rio Secreto’s social responsibility branch. Centinelas del Agua thenstarted raising awareness in the general public and local
authorities about the importance of the corridor throughenvironmental education initiatives (see text box).
Tourist activities in Rio Secreto also had to be planned insuch a way that their essence would not be disrupted:
conservation of its caves and water was imperative. Implementing good operational practices became necessary. “Our job in Rio Secreto is to take care of the resourceand have a minimum impact because nature has alreadydone its job creating the beauties we have here,” says Kristel Arce, social responsibility and sustainability manager of
Rio Secreto.
First, the site’s carrying capacity had to be defined. Currently, only groups of maximum 10 people are allowed inat specific times. Mass entry is forbidden. This mitigates
the effects crowds could have on wildlife, reduces noise
generated by visitors, and improves the site’s experience.
“Here, people don’t have fun because we offer a show. We
offer the possibility to learn about geological formations,jaguars, and even bats, which are extremely important forthese ecosystems”, says Mrs. Arce [translated quote.] She
adds: “our mission is to change our visitors’ life through ajourney to the bowels of the Earth. This vibrating experience connects them with themselves, wakes them up to adifferent landscape that helps them appreciate their surroundings more. When you leave the cave, colors are more
vivid, flavors change, all of this simply because down there,
something changes inside you. The experience is not only
for visitors but also for local workers and neighboring communities’’ [translated quote.]

43

Rigorous operation and receiving groups with limited numbers at specific times enables better waste management.
For example, instead of buying products in individual packages, food ingredients and beverages are bought andprepared in bulk for the restaurant. When operation ends,
at 4 in the afternoon, trash cans are emptied, and waste
is classified for proper disposal. Additionally, the wetsuits
and neoprene shoes that visitors wear for their protection,
comfort and agility in the cave are constantly reused. A
local tailor was hired to repair the suits and thus extend
their service life. Material that cannot be fixed is turned into
other products such as pencil cases, thermal covers fordrinks, backpacks, wallets, and laptop cases, among others. “When we looked at all the trash in the bins, we thought
there should be a creative solution to reuse that material”
says Mrs. Arce. These products are sold in stores and theproceeds serve to support the Jaguar Wildlife Center thatuses trap cameras placed in the rainforest to monitor thejaguar population. Profits also help rehabilitate wild animals found in urban areas so they can safely return to theirnatural habitat.“ It’s nice to see how a tourist and a jaguar
can be in the same place, at different times of day. This has
made us aware of the fact that we are only visitors in theseanimals’ home”, says Mrs. Arce.

Centinelas del Agua, A.C. is the social responsibility
branch of Rio Secreto’s Nature Reserve. It has threelines of action: research and conservation, water
governance, and education for sustainability. Its
name derives from the key element, the essence of
Rio Secreto: water.
In terms of education, we communicate the importance of conserving water to municipal authorities,
local civil engineers, and of course, schools at all educational levels. Furthermore, the organization works
in three Mayan communities, where local leadership
youth committees have been formed.
The organization has focused on providing environmental education through experiential tours, taking
students and teachers out of classrooms and into
the rainforest. “Today’s society is completely disconnected from nature and we have to reconnect withit through heart-touching experiences. Appropriatescientific information and group sessions go great
lengths with students and teachers.”, says Córdoba.
The organization is currently working on incorporating tours into the school curriculum.

The goal of Rio Secreto is to eliminate all non-recyclable inorganic waste in the next two to three years. Rio Secreto is
known for leveraging findings about paleoclimatology andhydrology. Lab research, performed in partnership withmultiple universities, is shared with communities and community leaders with the purpose of “helping them keep inmind what lies underneath when they do anything”, emphasizes Mrs. Arce. “Our approach has reached the tourism
authorities of Playa del Carmen, and we would like to shareknowledge as much as possible, so Rio Secreto becomes areplicable business model.”Special workshops about ecosystems are given toteachers who visit Rio Secreto. They will follow theriver’s underground route as if they were a dropof water themselves. They visit the recharge area,
the underground rivers and the coast to see forthemselves how the aquifer recharges. Centinelasdel Aguas is currently providing training for futureteachers at the Teacher’s Training School of Bacalaras part of a project called La Laguna que Nos Une(The Lagoon that Unites Us). The organization is also
promoting partnerships with the Basin Management
Committee, the Director’s Office for Travel and Tourism, the Director’s Office for Ecology, teachers andejidatarios.

The Outcome
After 10 years in operation, the company has received 1 million visitors who are now more aware of the importance ofunderground water resources. “What pleases me the mostis to see how a tourist’s vision changes after just an hour inthe cave,” emphasizes Mrs. Arce. In addition, the company
employs 238 workers whose families live from activities in
Rio Secreto. In 2017, the company recycled 4,717 kilogramsof plastic, cardboard, paper, aluminum and glass; composted 61,347 kilograms of organic waste to fertilize gardens and sent only 400 grams of waste per visitor to landfill. They currently have the goal of reducing this amount asmuch as possible. To know more about Rio Secreto’s management strategy and its results, read their latest sustainability report here (available in Spanish).
Rio Secreto’s sustainability policy has been certified by
EarthCheck. They were also awarded Grade S of the Ministry of Tourism and received the Ethics and Values Award
granted by the Confederation of Industrial Chambers(CONCAMIN).

The Takeaways“ One of the main lessons learned in Rio Secreto has been
the realization that the company has to benefit the community and become a means for people to build skills, gain
new expertise and feel happy in the place they live in” says
Mrs. Arce [translated quote.] For example, 40-50 photographers have trained at Rio Secreto. Many of them did notknow how to use a camera when they started, but they
have received internal training that helped them growand have even ventured into independent photography.
“Protecting nature is important not only for altruistic reasons, but because the conservation of natural resources
through sustainable tourism also helps support 238 local
families.”

44

Nevertheless, there are many threats to the protectionof natural resources. One of the main ones is the lack ofknowledge about how some practices, such as tourism,
affect these environments. Rio Secreto’s essence is water,
and the organization expects visitors to experience the importance of its protection. “To love something and protect
it, you must understand it,” says Mrs. Arce. In that sense, themain takeaway is that tourist activities have the potential to raise environmental awareness. “These experiences
teach local children and adolescents how to make better
water management decisions by showing them different
ways to do things. By generating knowledge instead of
imposing our views, we are able to transform their vision
about the subject”, comments Mrs. Córdoba [translated
quote.]
Regarding the role of educators and sustainability issues
in tourism, Mrs. Córdoba adds, “the role of teachers is essential because they are the strongest knowledge-sharers,
and their teachings often have a multiplier and long-term
effect. If teachers gain hands-on experience in what natural resources are and how some companies are taking
care of them, they can share that message with their students” [translated quote.]

ample, showering before getting into the water and nottouching anything. It only took me an hour to be transformed. I understood the fragility of the ecosystem, theimportance of caring about water and animals. Duringthat tour, I listened as a guide spoke with love, as if to achild, to something I could not see. To my disbelief, he
was talking to a spider! And I was terrified of spiders.
The love he talked to the spider with made me appreciate
it. It was an overwhelming moment and I understood thatsomething had to change. If more teachers opened theireyes to the issue, and shared their new vision with their students, students would become the guardians of water andother natural resources. That is the lesson you learn in Rio
Secreto. Transform yourself to transform the people in yourcommunity. Today, many of us are looking for a life-changing experience that shakes our lifestyle. This is it” [translated quote.]

Finally, Arce shares her personal story: “the first time
I came to Rio Secreto, I came as a tourist who had founda good travel promo. I am from Puebla, I grew up ina city. I had never wondered where garbage goes orwhere water comes from, and I was used to other typesof tourist activities. When I arrived in Rio Secreto, I wasshocked by the number of rules we should follow, for ex-45

Unit 5: Social Dynamics behind Tourism

Teachers from our network, Quintana Roo,46

Unit 5 - Social Dynamics
behind Tourism
As an activity that makes business out of leisure time, tourism is under constant transformation due to high competition, consumer-driven demand, and other factors. Travelcompanies have gone from offering products that appeal
to the general public to a specialized offer for every market
segment. The leisure travel industry has changed in order
to meet these specific needs.
It goes without saying that tourism is contributing substantially to the world economy. Yet, are its profits improving the quality of life of Mexican communities, especiallythose that host thousands of visitors every year? Economic growth alone does not improve people’s quality of life
unless equality and community well-being are explicitly
sought. Much as tourism is essential in driving the world
economy forward, it is not always clear if wealth has a positive impact on Mexican host communities.
Recently, the relation between tourism and well-being has
become more evident. On the one hand, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals stated that poverty
reduction would be one of the major challenges of the 21st
century. On the other hand, the importance of tourism hassignificantly increased at the international level.

As migrants arrived to fill the vacant positions in the tourism industry, impoverished urban settlements sprawled.
People would occupy empty land plots and build their own
houses in areas that lacked formal urbanization plans andutilities. Today, as 3,000 immigrants arrive in urban areasof Quintana Roo every month, suburbs continue to sprawl.
Demographic and economic growth have not translated
into social development initiatives, leaving communities
without schools, healthcare services, and recreational
spaces. Rapid urbanization and labor surplus in the tourism industry have contributed to a sharp increase in drug
addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, drug dealing, gang violence, family disintegration, and suicide, especially among
young people living in impoverished suburbs.
The main social scourges Quintana Roo faces at present
which are related to tourism include undocumented migration, child exploitation, trafficking in persons, land grabbing, and the lack of inclusion, gender equality and a senseof identity, among others.
This Activity Guide discusses tourism extensively in viewof how important it is to Quintana Roo and its population.
Teachers should raise awareness among their students
to ensure that they are well informed and know what to
do in case they face a situation that jeopardizes their life,
well-being or development.

Since its appearance on the global stage in the 1960s, tourism has been an important economic driver. World governments generally agree to grow their domestic travelindustry since it is profitable, creates new employment
sources and benefits the economy of communities that do
not have alternative sources of income.
Tourism is a booming industry worldwide and has the potential to boost economic and social development, as wellas to reduce poverty. Growing and operating the travel industry requires a large amount of labor, creating employment opportunities, especially for those who cannot easily
enter conventional labor markets, such as women, youth,
migrant workers and rural communities.
Tourism has also transformed local landscapes drastically.
Hotspots have become communities of destination for domestic and international migrants. Quintana Roo has become one of the most attractive destinations for migrants
since Cancun become a top global tourist destination in
the 1970s, and the Mayan Riviera followed in its steps in the
1990s.

47

Activity 5.1

Visitors and hosts

Objectives:
To teach students what their role is when hosting visitors
or tourists in their community. To instill in them a sense ofidentity and belonging with regards to their culture andnatural resources. To help them control the job opportunities resulting from tourism to ensure that they benefit
the community at large.

Materials and instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Divide the group into two. One team will play hosts andthe other one, visitors.
Ask each team to define the main characteristics of
tourists and hosts.
Ask both teams to share their views to the rest of thegroup. Discuss any potential characteristics theymight have missed.
If you want, use the following premises to start a conversation:• Tourism brings together two communities thatshare a common goal.
• Visitors have the right to look for leisure andgood-quality products as long as in doing so, they
do not infringe upon the host communities’ rights,
or disrupt their quality of life or the local environment.

•

Hosts have the right to make profit from travel andleisure activities, but they must care and protect
their host community as if it were their own.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• Had you ever thought of yourself as a host that welcomes a tourist into his/her home?
• Why do we need a sense of belonging towards ourcommunity and its natural and cultural wealth when
we open it to tourism?
• What could we do with tour operators for them to promote a sense of identity and belonging in their products and services?

Activity 5.2

The mark tourism leaves on society

Objectives:
To identify the social dynamics tourism creates in thestudents’ communities by examining the current context. To teach students how to detect situations that
could jeopardize their quality of life or development.

Materials and instructions:
1.
2.
3.

Split students into teams of five.
Ask each team to use a flipchart and markers to draw
a mind map about social issues their communities
face as a result of tourism.
An expert in human rights can be invited to talk tostudents about the context and issues affecting theircommunity from a human rights approach. It can besomeone from a public or a private institution, suchas End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), theNational System for Integral Family Development (DIF),
the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Quintana Roo State

4.
5.

Institute for Women (IQM), Centro Integral de Atención
a las Mujeres, A.C. (CIAM), among others.
Ask each team to share their mind map with the restof the group and start a group conversation about
their communities’ social issues.
Ask the listeners to give feedback to the presenters toinclude everyone’s input in all the mind maps.

Recap:At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap byasking the following prompting questions:• How familiar are you with the social dynamics andissues discussed in class?
• What creates these issues?
• What can you do as a young community member totackle these issues?

48

Activity 5.3

Roots, gender, sexuality and tourism

Objectives:

Recap:

To inform the young about the social dynamics and issues surrounding tourism by analyzing case studies
from the Yucatán peninsula. To further analytical thinking and argumentation skills among students.

Ask school authorities to give you permission to display the
infographics in an area where they will be visible to the student community. Students will then be informed about theissues their communities and their country face as a resultof tourism.

Materials and instructions:

At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• How can we inform other young people about theseissues?
• What can we do to prevent these issues from harmingus, our family, and our community?

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.

Download the reading materials of unit 5 from https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/curricula/ecotourism(available in Spanish). Each of them covers one of thefollowing topics and their relationship with tourism:• Child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation• Trafficking in women• Gender equality• Migration• Identity and sense of belonging
Split the group into small teams to read and analyze
one of the reading materials.
Ask each team to create an infographic with their articles’ most relevant information and concepts. Giveeach team poster boards or a flipchart and markers.
When ready, ask students to hang their work on thewall or any other place where it is easy to see for the
rest of the group. Ask each team to present their work.
Teachers may highlight the similarities and differences between each topic. Remember to stress the relationship between the issues and tourism.

49Activity 5.4

The tug-of-war between tourism andsustainability

Objectives:

Recap:

To promote a holistic approach to sustainable tourism
based on the connection between all the elements presented in this guide. To give the young a detailed panorama about the impact of tourism in their community andthe importance of implementing a model that pursues
environmental, economic and social well-being.

At the end of the session, teachers can do a recap by asking the following prompting questions:• How can a community develop a holistic model forsustainable tourism?
• What do our communities need to make tourism sustainable?
• How can younger generations make a difference
when they enter the workforce?

Materials and instructions:
1.

2.
3.

4.

5.
6.

Take six small, different-colored balls. Take a marker
or a tag and mark each ball with one of the following
words: 1) Environment 2) Society 3) Economy 4) Culture5) Tourism 6) Sustainability.
Ask students to make a circle.
Give out the balls at random to six students. On the
count of three, those with a ball should throw the ballat random inside the circle. Students should try tocatch a ball in mid-air.
Those who catch a ball should then step inside thecircle and give an example of a sustainable project,model or activity that addresses the six dimensions
written on the balls. Examples can be hypothetical orreal-life cases from the students’ communities.
Balls should be tossed again to let other students
catch them and repeat the exercise.
Teachers should guide the exercise by ensuring thatevery example covers the six dimensions of sustainable tourism.

50

Case study 5

Waste for a Cause

The Moon Palace
Hotel’s holistic waste
management strategy to
reduce its environmental
footprint and fund social
well-being strategies37.

The Palace Foundation is funded in part by the income
from selling the Moon Palace Hotel’s waste, as well asthat of other Palace Hotels. The Foundation’s lines ofwork are:

The Issue

Health: The Foundation provides medical assistanceand information about serious or even life-threatening conditions or disorders to beneficiaries, who do
not have the means to get timely treatment. Morethan 2.500 health interventions are performed every
year.

The boom in tourism is not free from collateral damage.
According to the UN Environment Programme tourism produces an amount of waste, greenhouse gases, and wastewater equal to the resources it consumes. A conservative
estimate indicates that at a global scale, domestic andinternational tourism produce 35 million tons of waste per
year38. If the tourism industry continues to operate like this,its water consumption by 2050 will increase by 152%, andits solid waste production, by 251%39. Waste management
is therefore a growing challenge, and the industry knows it.

Well-being: The Foundation fosters psychosocial andemotional care among its collaborators, their families,
and society at large. More than 250 people participate
every month in face-to-face workshops, and morethan 80 therapy sessions are provided.

According to the German Corporation for International
Cooperation (GIZ), tourism accounts for nearly one-thirdof all waste produced in the Mexican Caribbean, with awaste production rate of 400 tons per day. Waste is often
disposed of incorrectly, causing significant environmental damage. “The special composition of the region’s soil
means that pollutants leach directly into the groundwater,
jeopardizing not only drinking water supply, but also theextremely vulnerable ecosystem of underground water
courses and the nearby coral reef.”40

Environmental protection: The Foundation seeks topreserve and conserve the flora and fauna in the hotel’s grounds and surrounding areas through an environmental protection protocol applicable to collaborators, guests, and the general public. 1,511,015 turtle
eggs and 13,744 turtle nests have been protected,
while 1,276,680 newborn turtles have been released
into the sea.
Education: The Foundation supports university students who could not otherwise afford to pursue an
undergraduate degree. The Foundation has helped
40 students finish their undergraduate studies and 2
more have participated in an international exchange
program with its support. Currently, 84 students from
20 different universities hold a scholarship from the
Palace Foundation.

In view of this situation, twelve years ago, Palace Resort’s
Moon Palace Hotel, located in the municipality of Benito
Juárez [?], Quintana Roo, decided to implement its own sustainable waste management protocol before legislation inthis regard was passed.

The Solution

Child development: The Foundation seeks to givechildren unique, appealing, recreational, and meaningful activities that have a positive impact on theirlife. By 2016, 589 children had benefitted from thisprogram. Additionally, the Foundation has helped 96
children from a children’s home find a foster home toimprove their quality of life through education, healthcare, emotional care, psychological assistance, andrecreational and skill-building activities.

The Moon Palace Hotel hosts domestic and international events, such as high-level events and global climatechange summits. The hotel has a capacity of 3,396 rooms
and employs 10,000 [?] people. Aware of the environmental
impact of its operations, Palace Resorts decided to take a
step ahead of imminent sustainable waste management
legislation, stop sending its waste straight to landfill, andreuse or sell it instead to get funds for the Palace Foundation, which has six lines of work: health, well-being, environmental protection, education, and child development (seetext box).

Source: fundacionpalace.org, 2018.

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The hotel’s waste management program then set itself theobjective to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill,minimize the waste management fees payable to the municipal authorities, and invest the savings in waste-management technology. The hotel documented how muchwaste it produced and implemented a waste separation
protocol, accompanied by extensive training across all departments. The goal is to leverage at least 90% of the total
waste produced.
According to Antonio Ortiz, environmental affairs manager at Palace Resorts, “[they] looked for the technology that
helped [them] adapt best to the challenges of climatechange. In the past, when we remodeled the facilities, debris would go straight to landfill. Now waste is separated
and leveraged” [translated quote.] The hotel has alreadyinstalled a worm composting plant, a glass crusher, and aprocessor to convert waste cooking oil into biodiesel.
Additionally, the hotel is located in an area that lacks public sewers. Water is pumped from the ground through reverse osmosis, and wastewater management is critical
for the hotel. Ten wastewater treatment plants have been
installed within the hotel’s facilities, and two more plants
operate in its distribution center. In the future, the hotel
wants to generate gas from non-compostable or recyclable waste.

The Outcome
The Moon Palace Hotel has made great strides. For instance, the maintenance staff built a home-made glass
crusher. Twelve years ago, an agreement was signed witha glass factory based in the State of Mexico to sell themcrushed, color-sorted glass. Every month, 30 tons of amber,green and transparent crushed glass are processed. Yet,the income per kilogram of glass does not compensate
for the large amount of recovered glass and the logisticaleffort of separating it. Still, in the words of Mr. Ortiz, “[they]
are strongly committed with environmental protection. If[they] weren’t [they] would have already saturated the local landfill with the hotel’s waste” [translated quote.]
At present, 95% of waste is leveraged thanks to a specialized waste separation system. Every year, the hotel recovers 1,400 tons of cardboard, plastic, glass, paper, waste
cooking oil, and Tetra Pak material, among others. Morethan 2,000 tons of organic waste are turned into vegetable or worm compost and used to fertilize gardens and orchards. Also, 100% of wastewater is used to water the hotel’svast green areas.

Innovation
Much as other hotels have implemented environmentally-friendly practices, the Moon Palace Hotel stands out for
its decision to convert waste cooking oil instead of throwing it away or giving it to an oil-recycling center. Mr. Ortiz
explains that “sending organic waste to landfill is not goodfor the environment at all. Up to 80% of waste can turninto greenhouse gases. After extensive assessment fromresearch institutes and universities, as well as a strenuous learning curve, [they] found the right plant to convert
waste cooking oil into biodiesel.“ [translated quote.]
On the other hand, the hotel’s worm compost incorporates
streamline technological solutions given that it needs to beodorless and aesthetic due to its location.
Worm compost and biodiesel generation help the hotel
reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane.
Biodiesel also reduces the need for fossil fuels, decreasing
the hotel’s environmental footprint.

The Takeaways
Waste management initiatives require extensive staff
training to be successful. In Mr. Ortiz’s words, “you can havethe best composting or recycling system, but if you do nottrain and raise awareness among your staff, results will not
be good, no matter how much the company tries to implement these practices” [translated quote.] Continuous
training and internal audits have helped change the staff’s
mindset.
Ortiz also highlights the need to customize efforts according to each company’s characteristics. The Moon Palace
Hotel’s practices will not necessarily fit the needs and features of other hotels. Their operating conditions might prevent them from implementing Moon Palace’s model. Every
hotel should analyze its situation, including its geographical location, and adopt environmentally-friendly practices accordingly. However, “anyone can do something, one
way or another, to ensure that waste is properly managed”,
concludes Mr. Ortiz.

Translator’s note: definitions of ejido41 , criollo42 , andmestizo43 according to Merriam-Webster.

52

53

References
1
Meaningful Learning: according to psychologist
and pedagogue David Ausubel, true knowledge can only
be obtained when new content has a meaning due to its
relationship with previous knowledge.
2
Constructivism: pedagogical current opposed tohard knowledge instruction, where participants learn fromtheir previous knowledge, their individual and collective experiences, and new concepts.
3Kolb, D.A. (1984).

4
Adapted from the Department of Tourism of Mexico, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and theUnited Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
5

INEGI 2015

6

CONABIO 20177

SECTUR 20178
Qualitative analysis that measures and identifies
key elements, words or concepts in the context of a given block of information. From this, a count is made of thenumber of times said element, concept or word appears,
which allows for the generation of total values, averages
and percentages. To learn more about content analysis
techniques, visit: https://tinyurl.com/yyxx4xx4
9World Sustainable Tourism Council

10

Adapted by Ferreyra V. (2019)11
For more information on how to perform a SWOT
analysis, visit: https://www.analisisfoda.com/
12
Elaborated based on personal interview with Mrs.
Lynn Santos, Director of Sustainability (October 2018) andreview of secondary sources.
13
Sustentur, 2018. Karisma Hotels & Resorts reap the
benefits of their sustainability model. México.
14

Ruiz-Ortega, (2005).

15

García-López, (2017).

16
Section based on a personal interview with María
Eugenia Yan Pérez, Secretary of the board of the Felipe
Carrillo Puerto ejido (October 2018), as well as secondary
sources.
17
SEDETUR (2017.) Quintana Roo’s Anual Report 2017.
https://qroo.gob.mx/sedetur/reporte-anual-de-turismo-2017 (available in Spanish)
18
INAH (2017). Visitors’ statistics. https://www.estadisticas.inah.gob.mx/ (available in Spanish)

19
Araújo-Santana et al. (2013.) Políticas turísticas,
actores sociales y ecoturismo en la península de Yucatán.
http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=11127581001
20
Síijil Noh Há (2014). Historia del ejido de Felipe
Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo. https://siijilnohhamkt.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/historia-del-ejido-de-felipe-carrillo-puerto-quintana-roo/
21
https://siijilnohhamkt.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/
historia-del-ejido-de-felipe-carrillo-puerto-quintana-roo/
22
Collado, N. et al. (2016.) Laguna Síijil Noh Há “Donde brota el agua”. University of Quintana Roo. http://
lagunasiijilnohha.blogspot.com
23
Adventure México (2018) http://adventuremexico.
travel/operador-turistico/siijil-noh-ha/
24
Adventure México (2018) http://adventuremexico.
travel/operador-turistico/siijil-noh-ha/
25
Collado, N. et al. (2016). Laguna Siijil Noh Há “Donde brota el agua”. Universidad de Quintana Roo. http://
lagunasiijilnohha.blogspot.com/
26

Idem.

27

Idem.

28
Ministry of Tourism (2016). Cuidar para vivir mejor#COP13: Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka’an y Alrededores
Proyecto ecoturístico Síijil Noh Há https://www.gob.mx/sectur/articulos/cuidar-para-vivir-mejor-cop13?idiom=es
29
Case study based on a field visit to the community of Señor, an interview with Mr. Marcos Canté (April 2019),
and secondary sources.
30
SEDETUR (2017.) Reporte Anual de Turismo Quintana Roo 2017. https://qroo.gob.mx/sedetur/reporte-anual-de-turismo-2017
31
Extracto reproducido de Historia de México
(https://www.historiademexicobreve.com/2018/03/laguerra-de-castas.html)
32

SEMARNAT, (2016).

33

CONABIO, (2018)

34
Example of an ecosystem profile: https://www.
researchgate.net/figure/Figura-8-Perfil-de-algunos-tipos-de-vegetacion-presentes-en-el-ecosistema-Cayumanque_fig1_325454174
35
Elaborated based on personal interviews with Ms.
Ana Lilia Córdoba Lira, general director of Centinelas delAgua and Kristel Arce, manager of social responsibility andsustainability in Rio Secreto (October, 2018) and revision of
secondary sources.

54

36
UN Environment and World Tourism Organization(2005). Making Tourism More Sustainable – A Guide for Policy Makers http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/
dtix0592xpa-tourismpolicyen.pdfdtix0592xpa-tourismpolicyen.pdf
37
Case study based on an interview held in October
2018 with Mr. Antonio Ortiz, environmental affairs manager
at Palace Resorts, as well as secondary sources..
38
UN Environment Programme, UN World Tourism
Organization (2012.) Tourism in the Green Economy. https://www.cbd.int/financial/doc/tourism-greeneconomy.pdf
39
UN Environment Programme, 2018. Tourism. https://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/responsible-industry/tourism
40
GIZ (2008-2010). Sustainable waste managementin the tourism sector of the Mexican Caribbean. https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/24475.html
41
Ejido: a tract of land held in common by the inhabitants of a Mexican village and farmed cooperatively
or individually.
42
Criollo: a person of pure Spanish descent born in
Spanish America.
43
Mestizo: a person of mixed blood. specifically : aperson of mixed European and American Indian ancestry.

55

EDUCATOR GUIDE‘’SUSTAINABLE TOURISM EDUCATION AS STRATEGY FORCONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES’’ PROJECTRAINFOREST ALLIANCETUI CARE FOUNDATIONCONTENT
Mónica Alba Murillo, Environmental Education Consultant
Ronald Sanabria, Sustainable Tourism Consultant
María Ghiso, Senior Manager, Youth Inclusion for Rainforest
Alliance

Special thanks to our partners:
Botanical Garden Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
Centinelas del Agua, A.C.
Department of Education of Quintana Roo (SEQ)
Department of Environment of Quintana Roo (SEMA)
Department of Tourism of Quintana Roo (SEDETUR)
Flora, Fauna y Cultura de México, A.C.
Hotel Moon Palace
Karisma Hotels and Resorts
Parque La Ceiba
Río Secreto
Siijil Noh Ha
Sustentur
Xyaat

PHOTOS
Mónica Alba Murillo
Maria Ghiso
Michael Toolan
Teachers from our network

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2020
You are granted permission to use the content of the Curricula, which is property of the Rainforest Alliance, Inc., provided that such use is for educational, non-commercial
use, the source is cited. Such use is subject to the Terms andConditions for use of the Curricula as published at: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/curricula/terms-of-use

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