Social benefits of ecotourism : the monarch butterfly reserve in Mexico

Ecotourism can contribute to both positive and negative socioeconomic impacts at the local level. However, ecotourism’s socioeconomic impacts have received limited scholarly attention in the context of developing countries. Based on qualitative interviews and observations, this paper looks at the so...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Monterrubio Cordero, Juan Carlos, Rodríguez Muñoz, Gregoria, Mendoza Ontiveros, Martha Marivel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
Repositorio:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/7551
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10272/7551
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Community development
Ecotourism
Mexico
Socioeconomic impacts
The Monarch Butterfly Reserve
Descripción
Sumario:Ecotourism can contribute to both positive and negative socioeconomic impacts at the local level. However, ecotourism’s socioeconomic impacts have received limited scholarly attention in the context of developing countries. Based on qualitative interviews and observations, this paper looks at the socioeconomic benefits of ecotourism in a local community in the Monarch Butterfly Reserve in Mexico. It was found that ecotourism replaced most of the economic activities in the locality; the use of forest resources for individual consumption and local trade was largely replaced by ecotourism-related activities. Benefits included locals’ consciousness of natural resources and a more systematic organisation of economic activities. Acknowledging that qualitative methods somehow limit the generalisation of these findings, practical implications for the destination are suggested.