Second Participatory Tourism Workshop Held in Manatee Sanctuary Reserve

Xcalak, Quintana Roo — The Institute of Biodiversity and Natural Protected Areas of Quintana Roo (IBANQROO), in collaboration with Amigos de Sian Ka’an and the Technological Institute of Chetumal, held the second Participatory Tourism Diagnostic Workshop in the community of Xcalak.

The workshop is part of the project “Conservation of the State Reserve Manatee Sanctuary through the strengthening of sustainable tourism practices,” supported by German cooperation through KfW and the Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MAR Fund). The goal was to identify key aspects to understand the current state of tourism in the State Reserve Manatee Sanctuary, Chetumal Bay (RESMBCH), and to plan productive activities sustainably to help conserve its ecosystems.

Participants included tourism service providers and fly-fishing fishermen from Xcalak, who use Chetumal Bay as a fundamental space for their activities.

Rosa María Loreto Viruel, project coordinator for Amigos de Sian Ka’an, said the results from the workshop will serve as input for the strategic planning of the RESMBCH public use program, contributing to responsible tourism compatible with conservation.

The workshop featured working groups focused on a collective mapping exercise (participatory cartography) to diagnose tourism activities in the region, identifying main opportunities and threats associated with tourism development by integrating local knowledge and experience. The activity was led by Alicia Herrera Yáñez, an academic from the Technological Institute of Chetumal.

Miguel Mateo Sabido Itzá, director of Natural Protected Areas, Regulatory Improvement, and Archives at IBANQROO, highlighted the ecological and social importance of the RESMBCH on its 30th anniversary. He emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration among institutions, authorities, and communities to promote participatory actions that foster sustainable tourism, ecosystem conservation, and local well-being.