Resumen

OJEDA, Antonio B.; GARCIA DE FUENTES, Ana; ROMERO, David  y  FRAGA, Julia. Ecotourism as a conservation tool in coastal wetlands of Yucatan, Mexico. Rev. cartogr. [online]. 2020, n.101, pp.155-171.  Epub 14-Mar-2022. ISSN 2663-3981.  https://doi.org/10.35424/rcarto.i101.671.

We analyzed the environmental impact of 25 community-based ecotourism ventures, on the coast of Yucatan, Mexico, to determine if this activity meets sustainable goals, especially those related to environmental care. The methodological approach included: field observation, interviews with the stakeholders, mapping areas in the field with GNSS and GIS of the main pro-environmental actions carried out by ecotourism ventures. We observe that the main environmental contribution of ecotourism in the region is the reforestation of more than 450 hectares of mangroves that were seriously affected by the hurricanes Gilbert in 1988 and Isidore in 2002. We conclude, the community-based ecotourism although it has economic constraints, is an important player in environmental care, helping to preserve the environmental heritage of the region.

Palabras llave : community-based ecotourism; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); mangrove; hurricane; ecological conservation.