Tabi-Kiuic Ecotourism Corridor


Mexico is classified as one of six mega-diversity countries in terms of flora and fauna. Only Colombia and Brazil have more biodiversity than Mexico. Mexico is the only country in the world that has two biogeographic zones, the Neartic and Neotropical, which account for its biodiversity. From the standpoint of economic development, Mexico has much to offer in the realm of new kinds of tourism, such as nature and ecotourism.

Tourism serves as a detonator of social and economic development, which contributes to diversification in products and the generation of employment and revenue. Ample and sustained assistance is required to realize the local and municipal economic alternatives. In the country as a whole, tourism represents the third source of revenue and brings in almost a tenth of the gross national product. In Yucatan, tourism makes an important contribution, relating to a productive network of goods and services, such as transportation, commerce, communication, supplies, health and education. It also contributes to assembling of goods and services, which favor combined operations of development at regional and micro-regional levels.

If the concepts expressed in the State Development Plan (2001-05) are considered, tourism represents one of the best options for development in Yucatan. However, this is true only if all involved agree with the concept to: "Practice sustainability in which the human being, individually or in groups, takes from nature only the goods necessary for survival without exceeding natural processes and which respond to his or their own needs."

Unfortunately, Mexico´s flora and fauna diversity has been subjected to unrestrained destruction for decades, with the result that thousands of species have disappeared and thousands more are threatened with extinction. Mexico holds the world record in deforestation, calculated in an annual loss of one million hectares. All of Mexico's aquifers are contaminated. All of the large cities have contaminated air and Yucatan is not an exception to these environmental problems.

As civil organizations, concerned with the integral and environmental development of the community, state, nation and planet, it is their job to reverse this situation within the framework of sustainable development. This implies an integrated and coordinated focus which would assure that development is compatible with the need to protect and improve the environment in benefit of the population.