Mexico Is Paving the Way for Sustainable Tourism
Photo by Filip Gielda
Sustainable tourism is a natural fit for Mexico thanks to its plentiful environmental, social and cultural assets. Mexico is home to a wide variety of biological diversity across coastlines, rainforests, farms, parks and so much more. This popular tourist destination is also rich in cultural capital, being home to famous Mayan and Aztec ruins with plenty of sightseeing opportunities not to mention its world-renowned food scene. It’s easy to understand why tourists flock to the country each year.
Tourism & Mexico’s Economy (Pre-pandemic until now)
In 2018, tourism contributed 8.7% to Mexico’s GDP, outpacing other major sectors like construction, financial services and mining. That year, tourism represented 6% of the country’s total employment across 2.3 million-plus jobs. Unfortunately, Mexico did not escape the downturn in the global tourism industry during the pandemic year. The number of international tourists in the Latin American nation was slashed roughly in half from 45 million in 2019 to 23.3 million in 2020.
Mexico’s overall economy suffered too, shrinking by 8.5% in 2020 — its worst performance since the Great Depression. Nevertheless, Mexico’s economy started showing green shoots of recovery as early as the fourth quarter of 2020. The resurgence was robust in this period, allowing Mexico to reclaim nearly three-quarters of economic production lost in the previous quarters of the year. Goldman Sachs predicts Mexico’s economy will expand by 4% in 2021.
Source: Statista
Fortunately for Mexico, its sustainable tourism hotspots and forward thinking outlook were key to helping it recover from the economic slowdown faster than it otherwise would have.
Mexico’s Sustainable Attractions
Mexico has countless tourism attractions that are eco-friendly and socially sustainable.
Cozumel Pearl Farm has the only active pearl farm that the Caribbean has to offer. With a focus on sustainability, the farm avoids the use of chemicals in favor of environmentally friendly products. Even the infrastructure is sustainable, with structures having been constructed on stilts of telephone poles that have been recycled with materials that were sustainably and locally sourced. These sustainable practices carry over to the sea, where the family-owned project, which has been in operation since about the turn of the century, has implemented “environmentally friendly anchoring systems that are used in all underwater installations today.” They even drummed up an “artificial reef for coral gardening” that helps the economy. This is thanks to the fish that are subsequently drawn to the area, making it even more of an attraction for tourists interested in fishing, diving and snorkeling.
Isla Holbox, just off the Yucatan Peninsula coastline, is another sustainable destination due to its vehicle-free environment. The only way to enjoy the island and visit the naturally protected Yum Balam is by boat, foot, and bicycle. The island’s Hotel Casa Blat Ha located there is known for its orchard comprising edible and medicinal plants as well as its use of wind power to lessen its carbon footprint even more.
Mexico City & Sustainability
The capital of Mexico has kept sustainable tourism at the forefront. Over the summer of 2021, the Secretariat of Tourism of Mexico City hosted the “Mexico City, Capital of Sustainable Tourism: International Meeting of Nature Tourism” event. Experts in the field from Mexico, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Chile, Spain, Ecuador and Peru gathered to discuss themes like nature tourism, sustainable tourism and the challenges ahead to jumpstart travel in the Latin American region.
Their focus was on businesses, products and sustainability and the idea was to strengthen the contribution among entrepreneurs toward “the responsible use of nature through tourism in Mexico City.” Since the pandemic, the way that people travel has changed, which has thrust nature and short-distance trips into the spotlight given the ease in which social distancing measures can be achieved outside. Officials explored ways in which Mexico City could promote nature tourism as a tool to reinvigorate the economy, touting the conservation of local parks and natural areas.
Source: Twitter
Why Sustainability is Important
While Mexico has shown that it is serious about incorporating sustainability into its strategic planning, in order to make a difference on a global scale and limit the environmental impact of the global tourism industry, more destinations and businesses will need to adapt and make changes to lower their footprint and CO2 emissions while conserving cultural heritage and supporting the local economy. By doing so, destinations will be able to manage the rise in tourism arrivals and reap the benefits without causing permanent harm to our planet.
Post-pandemic estimates predict that tourism arrivals show no signs of slowing down. The global tourism industry has ballooned from approximately 25 million travelers half a century ago to 1.18 billion now, with projections for that number to increase to 1.8 billion by the end of the decade. Tourism delivers numerous benefits both to the overall economy as well as local revenue and jobs. In fact, tourism has been a major contributor to global GDP growth — 10% to be exact. At the same time, however, tourism has taken a toll on the planet, with the effects of climate change threatening to eradicate the following areas of the world’s leading destinations:
30% of species
90% of coral reefs
Close to 50% of the Amazon rainforest
It’s clear to see how the tourism industry has gotten to this point. One luxury hotel room consumes 1,800 liters of water each day compared to less than 330 liters per day for the average Canadian citizen. In addition, it’s not uncommon for hotels to fall short on sustainable waste and recycling systems. Therefore, it is as important as ever for tourism businesses to also take the lead on sustainability to lower their footprint and engage tourists with sustainability.
Sustainability Awareness
Tourism may never be able to erase its carbon footprint entirely. Nevertheless, there are ways in which individual travelers can also contribute to a more sustainable experience, such as:
Dining at establishments with locally sourced menu items
Buying souvenirs from vendors that source their items locally
Choosing accommodations that are focused on sustainability, where possible, and inquire about sustainability measures at hotels. For example, Mexico’s MIA Bacalar Luxury Resort & Spa, located at the foot of the lagoon, is in the habit of recycling its water and directing it toward irrigation purposes on the campus. They also compose food waste and grow locally sourced chemical-free produce in a garden for dining on the premises.
With its heightened awareness about sustainability, Mexico is positioned to continue to be a leading tourism destination and already in a better position to withstand disruptions to tourism than destinations that have yet to make the transition to sustainability.
Sustainable tourism should be seen as key to future-proofing a destination and the businesses that rely on tourism for their survival.
Article by: Gerelyn Terzo of Sharemoney.
Sea Going Green is a sustainable tourism consultancy, assisting destinations and tourism service providers with their transition towards environmental, social and cultural sustainability.
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