Oaxaca Boosts Eco-Tourism Sector
by Eliza Barclay, Nomad 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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It would be good to see a public directory of the community collectives and private companies in Oaxaca. It's been a tough year and many businesses have folded.
That said, there is no doubt that Oaxaca and all of Mexico possess great potential in developing tourism that is people-friendly, eco-friendly and place-friendly. If we want to call this ecotourism, however, we need to make very clear how all of these elements are integrated.
This year's ecotourism fair was not the first-ever. We had that back in 2002 --http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/oaxaca/feria2002.html -- but it was a good show nonetheless. The big problem here is the lack of institutional memory.
" I am very sure that in a very short time from now, individuals, companies and organisations will not be celebrated because of how much they are worth but how much investment they have put on the ground to help heal the earth and sustain a secure planet for people yet on their way to this small planet called home"