Oaxaca Boosts Eco-Tourism Sector
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. 
on 09.13.07
The southern Mexican state of Oaxaca recently launched its first annual eco-tourism fair to promote the state's burgeoning array of eco-tourism options. Fourteen communities participated in the fair, showcasing projects that include eco-tourism, adventure tourism and rural tourism.
To date the state boasts 19 collectives, 30 private companies, seven sustainable agriculture farms and five coffee farms involved in eco-tourism. The state's tourism secretary, Beatriz Rodríguez Casasnovas, noted that the sector has thus far generated $1.7 million (19 million pesos), much of it benefiting small communities in need of economic opportunities. Eco-tourism, according to the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, can be an excellent tool for poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation. This is particularly relevant for Oaxaca, one of Mexico's poorest states.
Among Oaxaca's ecological jewels is the Northern Sierra. It is rich in fauna biodiversity, with more than 400 species of birds and 350 species of butterflies.
Via El Universal (Spanish link)
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