The use of tourism as a social intervention in indigenous communities to support the conservation of natural protected areas in Mexico

Abstract

Tourism has been considered a tool for sustainable development (SD) of rural/indigenous communities living within natural protected areas (NPAs) since the 1980s. This article examines the use of tourism as a SD intervention in the management of NPAs. Based on the theory of social change and on the realist methodological approach to social research, the study focuses on the case of Mexico. It seeks to establish causal chains to identify mechanisms that trigger (un)expected outcomes within a specific sociocultural context. The research distinguishes between development of tourism, and SD through tourism. Preliminary findings from on-going research in the indigenous community of Sta. Cruz Tepetotutla in Oaxaca, Mexico point to the necessity for an alterna-tive approach to the design, application and assessment of tourism interventions. It is argued that specific contextual features trigger mech-anisms which lead to (un)expected outcomes. Considering traditional social organization is fundamental to achieve improvement in collective well-being, biodiversity preservation and cultural heritage. The article seeks to help decision-makers improve their outcomes from interven-tions, and to generate further discussion on the use of tourism for the management of NPAs, and on the role tourism can play in the improve-ment of the living conditions of the communities.

Indigenous communities and sustainable development: A review and research agenda

“…The most researched subject is the management and conservation of resources (biodiversity) through indigenous knowledge, which are published in various tourism‐related journals. (Carr et al., 2016; Hoque et al., 2020; Warnholtz et al., 2020), food (Bisht, 2021; Guzmán Luna et al., 2019; Wolff & Gomes, 2015), mountains (Bencherifa & Johnson, 1991; Nischalke et al., 2017), marine life, (Kourantidou et al., 2020; Mahon & Fanning, 2019; Robinson & Mercer, 2000; van Bets et al., 2016) and pollution (Boiral et al., 2019; Chiu & Yong, 2004; Gusmão Caiado et al., 2018; Mohamed Shaffril et al., 2020; Patnaik & Bhowmick, 2020). Sources like the International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology , Ecology and Society , Futures and Sustainability all have inter‐disciplinary research contributions from all over the world.…”

El concepto de patrimonio biocultural y su aplicación en el turismo: una revisión sistemática de la literatura

“…Se hace necesario entonces implementar la actividad turística como un factor de intervención para un cambio social en vez de dar protagonismo al aspecto comercial en sí; por lo que se debe tener en cuenta la complejidad del contexto cultural, económico, político y ambiental de las comunidades. Por demás, se requiere la participación y el consenso de las comunidades en aras de mejorar sus condiciones de vida a la vez que se mantiene viva su cultura y los ecosistemas a la que está vinculada (Hutárová et al, 2021;Warnholtz et al, 2022;Fuste-Forne & Hussain, 2022).…”