Tourism and Development

In the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, another great example of using tourism instead of other industries to promote development can be seen.  In some small Mayan communities, the NGO Kanche Asociacion Civil is working to promote sustainable development.  These communities struggle to meet their basic physiological needs on a day to day basis.  Often the first solution that is offered is to promote agriculture, forestry and resource extraction as a means for economic growth.  Kanche and the communities it is involved in has realized that this is not an option for this area.  Traditional activities such as agriculture and fishing are no longer beneficial or sustainable for the community.  This is being seen in rural areas all around the world.  Small scale operations are dieing off because of overpowering corporate industries that are able to extract many more resources for much less.  

Kanache has realized that in order for these communities to grow, they need a sustainable and alternative option.  This is the perfect opportunity for tourism to develop.  Tourism can bring people and money into the economy.  Sustainable tourism practices must be put into place in the early stages of its development to preserve the ecologic and cultural diversity in the area.  

This situation is not the first of its kind.  ATG has been offering tours to areas like this for quite some time.  The lessons that they have learned can act as a guiding hand in the development of new small and sustainable tourist destinations.

It is important to keep in mind the carrying capacity of the area.  Just as a forest can only support a certain number of trees or wildlife, a tourism destination can only support a certain number of tourists.  The type of tourism is also very important in maintaining the destination.  Making sure that tourism is regulated, that tourists are educated and sustainability is practiced is crucial to ensure that the destination keeps its identity.  

http://www.theperspectivemagazine.com/mags/sustainable-development-through-alternative-tourism/