Evolution of Ecotourism in Coastal Indigenous Communities: Comparison of the Case Studies of La Ventanilla and La Escobilla in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

The state of Oaxaca is one of the most economically depressed in Mexico, and this has been recently aggravated by various geopolitical and ecological events that make the lives of its inhabitants even more precarious. There is a strong interest in accelerating the state’s development with sustainable alternatives. Within the neighbouring communities of La Ventanilla and La Escobilla in the Coast of Oaxaca, the promotion of the protection and productive use of sea turtles through ecotourism has been introduced. However, the two communities have observed different socio-economic development rates. This article aims to analyse these two case studies and why La Ventanilla has made ecotourism its livelihood, whereas, in La Escobilla, it has been a source of problems. The objective is, therefore, to analyse the evolution of their ecotourism initiatives and draw a comparison between both communities to understand the differences. This objective was evaluated through surveys, expert observation, and subsequent SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). In the next step, TOWS Optimum Strategic Alternative matrices were created to establish strategies for future proposals. The authors found a clear disparity between the two communities in terms of Strengths—La Ventanilla is 55% higher than La Escobilla— and Weaknesses—La Escobilla is 43% higher than La Ventanilla. The possible suggested causes could be “sanctuary status”, “urban planning”, “different origins of the problems”, “diversification of the ecotourism product”, and “external focus”. Consequently, community empowerment, sustainable urban planning, the creation of a diversification plan for ecotourism activities, or a dissemination strategy, in addition to project proposals with external research organisations and NGOs, are considered essential strategies for the success of the ecotourism plan and thus for the sustainable development and conservation of sea turtles.

Mangrove tourism management strategies and policies towards sustainable mangrove tourism: a comparison study between Mexico and Indonesia

“…It has been shown that local communities are potentially knowledgeable about how to properly utilize mangroves in their local area and have a long-term desire to reap these benefits in both Mexico and Indonesia (Arifanti, et al 2022;del Carmen Peña-Puch et al, 2023). However, empowering and increasing community participation still requires a lot of collaboration with parties other than the government (NGOs, academia) in its implementation due to the limited capacity of the government (Rivera-Arriaga et al, 2019;Arifanti, et al 2022;Cordon et al, 2023). It is estimated by Vargas-del-Río & Brenner (2023) that regulation by the government in Mexico is still a challenge for empowering communities in mangrove areas because it is related to ownership and utilization rights by these communities so it needs to be reconsidered in the development of further mangrove management policies.…”

“…The regulatory umbrella of mangrove area protection can also ensure that mangrove area use is in line with other possible mangrove management developments, such as for blue carbon and restoration (Herrera-Silveira et al, 2020). Conflicting interests can be harmonized through the establishment of coordination channels between government agencies as the highest authority for mangrove area management (Vargas-del-Río & Brenner, 2023), although it can be implemented through various collaborations such as with non-governmental, private and international organizations to continue to increase the capacity and awareness of the community on the potential and importance of sustainable mangrove tourism management (Friess et al, 2016;Quevedo, et al, 2022), as well as diversification of tourism activities (Cordon et al, 2023). Apart from the regulation of sustainable mangrove tourism implementation, implementation monitoring also needs to be implemented more adequately which is indeed being developed in Indonesia and is a good step in making policy decisions more informed and in accordance with the conditions and capacities of each location.…”