Sustainability in Tourism: How Effective Partnership Can Drive Positive Change
The Riviera Maya has undergone rapid development in the last few decades due to increased demand in tourism, putting pressure on surrounding ecosystems and cultural sites. As demand for tourism shows no signs of decreasing, there is an ever-increasing need for effective management solutions. This project involved collecting data about the different perspectives of key stakeholders through qualitative interviews and surveys of tourists to understand if their views were currently in line with one another, as well as with a sustainable management framework. Findings indicate that there are currently significant barriers to enacting sustainability measures in tourism.
Why I did it
Tourism is a multi trillion-dollar industry that is only projected to increase in the coming years, bringing more humans into contact with fragile habitats more frequently. Tourism also has the potential to conserve important biodiversity hotspots and cultural heritage around the globe, while economically empowering local communities. It is important that the tourism and travel industry is ahead of the curve on sustainability issues, and that we find a way to use it as driver for positive change. The Riviera Maya is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, in addition to being one of the most biodiverse and culturally rich places on earth. I wanted to find out the different challenges facing this region regarding sustainable development as well as understand how tourism could be better managed to benefit both people and the environment.
How I did it
My project involved interviewing several key stakeholders in the region about sustainability issues in the tourism industry. I I conducted twenty-two interviews in all and I interviewed academics, politicians, government officials, tour operators, NGO administrators, and more. While many questions were tailored towards each individual’s expertise, I asked each subject about their views on sustainability and different tourism issues in Mexico. I also conducted an online survey of tourists in Mexico, which was posted to a Mexico tourism website. The survey garnered about 200 responses, and asked respondents about their views on environmentally responsible tourism, and their travel habits. In conjunction with my interviews and surveys, I conducted a thorough literature review to understand environmental law and policy in Mexico, the development of tourism in Mexico, case studies in eco-tourism in other parts of the world, and discourse on sustainability.
What I discovered
The government is not doing an effective job of managing tourism in Mexico. Money that gets paid at government managed tourist destinations does not get reinvested into the management of those areas, there is a disconnect between policymakers and those who are generally in charge of enforcing environmental laws, and many officials in charge of natural areas in Mexico do not have much knowledge of the site and visit infrequently. In contrast many of the people who live within these areas with more expertise have little to no say in their management. While there are robust environmental policies in place in Mexico, there are not mechanisms in place to enforce them. The group I worked for, Manejo Cultural A.C., hopes to start a network of public/private partnerships in which the government can contract out the administration of natural reserves to NGOs that have more time and expertise.
What I learned
- To communicate more effectively in a second language, and to be able to communicate ideas from another culture
- To use systems thinking to come up with more effective solutions for a problem
- To develop a research proposal and collaborate with others to bring it to fruition
- To complete field research independently
- To develop a network with individuals in several different academic fields
- To share and market my research effectively to several different audiences, and utilize different social media platforms and academic networks to do so
The Big Picture
Strong government is the strongest predictor of success in conservation measures, but in countries that experience political instability and corruption, we cannot rely on traditional conservation measures to be effective. As biodiversity loss is imminent, we must work with stakeholders, including NGOs and the private sector, to conserve nature.