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The Green Guide to the Mexican Caribbean
Ubicación
The Green Guide to the Mexican Caribbean is a bilingual publication distributed free of charge to hotels, tour operators and other businesses in an effort to educate both tourists and businesses on how to care for this destination.
In simple, accessible language it offers brief descriptions of the natural treasures of the region- including sections on corals, sea turtles & whalesharks, among others- along with easy-to-follow practical advice on how to care for the biodiversity and natural beauty that make this such an attractive destination.
The initial edition was funded in part by Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Project and Mexico´s Commission on Natural Protected Areas, both of which ...
Sobre ti
Información de contacto
Title
Ms.
First name
Lucy
Last name
Gallagher
Your job title
Executive Director
Name of your organization
Mexiconservación, A.C.
Organization type
NGO
Annual budget/currency
$62,542/ Mexican Pesos
Mailing address
Mexiconservacion, Interior Hotel El Crucero, Tulum, Q. Roo, Mexico
Telephone number
+52 (984) 802-5454
Postal/Zip Code
77781
Country
México
Email address
Alternative email address
tu idea
Esta será la dirección usada para marcar tu participación en el mapa.
Street Address
Mexiconservacion, Interior Hotel El Crucero, Carr. Tulum-Cancun esq. Ave. Tulum Ruinas
City
Tulum
State/Province
Q. Roo
Postal/Zip Code
77781
Country
México
Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant
Quality of tourist experience and educational benefit to tourists , Quality of stewardship of the destination.
Organization size
Small (1 to 100 employees)
Indicate sector in which you principally work
Conservation/Preservation organization
Year innovation began
2007
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Indicate sector in which you principally work
Nature, Education, General destination stewardship/management.
Name Your Project
The Green Guide to the Mexican Caribbean
Describe Your Idea
The Green Guide to the Mexican Caribbean is a bilingual publication distributed free of charge to hotels, tour operators and other businesses in an effort to educate both tourists and businesses on how to care for this destination.
In simple, accessible language it offers brief descriptions of the natural treasures of the region- including sections on corals, sea turtles & whalesharks, among others- along with easy-to-follow practical advice on how to care for the biodiversity and natural beauty that make this such an attractive destination.
The initial edition was funded in part by Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Project and Mexico´s Commission on Natural Protected Areas, both of which ...
BID/FOMIN
Si perteneces a un pais de Latinoamerica y el Caribe tienes la oportunidad de presentar tu iniciativa para acceder a fondos para innovaciones en turismo sostenible del BID/FOMIN (para mayor informacion leer la seccion sobre la oportunidad BID/FOMIN en la pagina principal del Desafio).
Deseo postularme.
Si perteneces a un pais de Latinoamerica y el Caribe tienes la oportunidad de presentar tu iniciativa para acceder a fondos para innovaciones en turismo sostenible del BID/FOMIN (para mayor informacion leer la seccion sobre la oportunidad BID/FOMIN en la pagina principal del Desafio).
Consumidores (viajeros), Prestatarios de servicios turísticos, Prestatarios de servicios no turísticos (proveedores).
Indica cuales de estas tematicas cubre tu innovacion (elige todas aquellas opciones que apliquen)
Profesionalización, buenas prácticas y certificación de servicios turísticos sostenibles, Estrategias y herramientas innovadoras para la promoción y puesta en mercado de destinos y productos en turismo sostenible y geoturismo..
Innovación
What is the goal of your innovation? Please describe in one sentence the kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
To educate individuals and businesses as to the value of the region´s biodiversity and the threats it faces, and provide the necessary practices to preserve natural beauty of the Mexican Caribbean.
Please write an overview of your project. Include how your approach supports or embodies geotourism or destination stewardship. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the map located on the competition homepage.
The Green Guide to the Mexican Caribbean is a bilingual publication distributed free of charge to hotels, tour operators and other businesses in an effort to educate both tourists and businesses on how to care for this destination.
In simple, accessible language it offers brief descriptions of the natural treasures of the region- including sections on corals, sea turtles & whalesharks, among others- along with easy-to-follow practical advice on how to care for the biodiversity and natural beauty that make this such an attractive destination.
The initial edition was funded in part by Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Project and Mexico´s Commission on Natural Protected Areas, both of which also used the guide for their own educational and training programs. Improvements and follow-up editions have been made with the enthusiastic sponsorship of local businesses. To date, over 12,000 copies have been distributed. An abridged version has appeared in travel guides, and one passionate sponsor encouraged us to develop a pamphlet version of which another 30,000 copies have been distributed. Work is currently under way on an audiovisual version of the guide to be shown on buses and ferries.
Explain in detail why your approach is innovative
The Green Guide is a unique environmental education tool that- without being encyclopedic- offers more in-depth information that goes beyond the simple “do not…” slogans of beach signs or pamphlets. Rather than focusing on the particularities of a single locale it is meant to be applicable to the entire region, and offers advice that remains relevant regardless of location. It is focused and targeted: while there are other problems in the region, the Guide does not confuse an array of issues and actors, but rather attempts to address specific threats by involving those who have the greatest impact upon the problem. We believe its widespread placement, and diverse uses, will undoubtedly result in a reduction of unsustainable recreational practices, lessening the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, to the benefit of the region's biodiversity, and ecological integrity. We are unaware of any other similar projects.
As an environmental education tool, it is also quite unique in that it pays for itself, and is thus self-sustaining.
The Green Guide was also developed entirely with volunteer work and donated photographs.
Impacto
Describe the degree of success you have had to date. How do you measure, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the impact on sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How has it transformed or contributed to the power of place or demonstrated the sustainability of tourism? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
The purpose of the Green Guide is to celebrate what makes the Mexican Caribbean unique while arming tourists and businesses alike with the practices to best minimize their impact on the environment. Though we have no way of knowing how many tourists have adopted the advice in the Green Guide, or how so or to what degree, we can say that it has been remarkably well received. Not only have we received “fan mail” from tourists from around the world, but organizations in other countries have asked for our blessing in developing their own versions. One supporter offered to pay for the development of an abridged pamphlet version, and another summary was included in a travel guide.
So far 12,000 copies of the complete Green Guide have been printed and distributed to over 50 hotels, along with 30,000 copies of the pamphlet version. The online version has been downloaded a couple hundred times. We have obtained sponsorship from approximately 50 small businesses. All this has been achieved in our spare time- we can only imagine how much more effective we could be with a full time paid position to oversee the project.
In what ways are local residents actively involved in your work, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
Local residents volunteered their time in developing the Green Guide, and continue to do so to promote and distribute its various versions. We expanded the second edition by adding new sections in response to feedback from our supporters. Printings so far have relied primarily on the sponsorship of approximately 50 small businesses in the region; and the Guides have been placed at approximately 50 different hotels in several towns, as well as with a couple of tour operators.
How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Though the beaches are the main reason visitors flock to the Mexican Caribbean in ever-increasing numbers, the region has much more to offer. The Green Guide to the Mexican Caribbean celebrates the richness of biodiversity in the region as the very source of the natural beauty that makes this such an attractive destination. Only by understanding something can we truly aim protect it, and the Green Guide offers, in addition to fun facts, simple guidelines to enhance the visitor´s appreciation of local wildlife, whether experiencing it at the beach, at sea, or in the jungle.
Describe how your work helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues.
Mexiconservación's motto is “Protejamos nuestro patrimonio natural”, which translates roughly to “Join us in protecting our natural heritage”, and this is the very purpose of the Green Guide. With sections on Coral Reefs, Sea Turtles, Whalesharks, Birds, Mangroves & Seagrasses, and Cenotes, Lagoons, & Beaches it covers a wide array of the most outstanding natural treasures of the region. Additional sections on Fishing, Boating, and Hotels & Restaurants further educate visitors on the impact of tourism on local ecosystems, while offering the tools to minimize such impact.
Esta presentación se trata de
Sustenibilidad
How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
Mexiconservacion is a volunteer organization, and to date no one has drawn a salary from the organization. The Green Guide was initially made possible by grants from the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System Project, CONANP, and Project AWARE. Further sponsorship has come from various local businesses.
Our income for 2008 was US$6,028, and our expenditures for the same year were US$4,741. Mexiconservación has 9 permanent volunteers (4 Members and 5 Associates), all part-time.
Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? Is there a potential demand for your innovation?
The project is self-sustaining, yet could be improved. Sponsorship by local businesses pays for publication of the Green Guide. However, our reach has so far been limited by the fact that we are a volunteer organization, and that whatever work we devote to the Green Guide has to be in our spare time. A full-time, paid position to oversee all aspects of the project would allow us to increase revenue while expanding our reach- for example by offering “location specific” editions that would match the sponsors mentioned with the town in which that particular edition is distributed.
What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
In addition to limited spare time to devote to the project as volunteers, we lack experience in sales or marketing, and so our efforts at promoting the Green Guide could be vastly improved if someone with that profile were to join our team on a full-time basis. With this support the Green Guide could be distributed to a much larger audience over a wider area, and be not just self-sustaining, but actually profitable and help fund other Mexiconservación projects.
What is your plan to expand or further develop your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
Having established ourselves in the so-called Riviera Maya, the next step is full-coverage throughout all the Mexican Caribbean- from Cancun to Chetumal. After accomplishing that, a Yucatan Peninsula edition seems like the next logical step- though the concept could be adapted to any destination: the Pacific Coast, the Sea of Cortez, Oaxaca, etc...
In terms of media, we are currently working on an audiovisual version of the Green Guide, which could be shown on long-distance buses, ferries, and airplanes. For a sketch of the this video project, visit: http://www.mexiconservacion.org/MC_GGFILM.html
The Guide has already inspired a pamphlet for the Responsible Traveller that offers good advice regardless of the location visited; and summary has been included in a guide book.
La historia
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
Mexiconservación is a volunteer environmental organization founded in 2006 by three friends: a lawyer, an economist and a biologist. The Green Guide to the Mexican Caribbean was their first project- funded initially with grants from the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System Project and Project AWARE, and currently sponsored by local businesses. Other projects include a UNDP- funded project to develop a capacity-building plan for 22 community organizations in the Yucatan; ongoing promotion of composting and permaculture; an online legal library; a photolibrary; a directory of “green building” suppliers; a campaign against plastic bags; and a collaboration with The EcoTipping Points Project.
What is the origin of your innovation? Tell the Changemakers and media communities what prompted you to start this initiative.
Most environmental education efforts in the region are superficial, scattered and poorly targeted. The Green Guide- Mexiconservación´s very first project- was developed to begin to address these deficiencies. It should be stressed that we are entirely a volunteer organization, a group of friends concerned about a place they love and dedicated to helping preserve it, by doing what they can in their spare time. It was in great measure this “part-time” economy of the project which helped shape it, by forcing us to develop a format that would maximize our exposure without requiring too much of our time or sacrificing the quality of the information we wished to present. Though seminars are more informative, their audience is sorely limited. Billboards may reach more people, but can only effectively transmit slogans. The idea of a publication to be placed free-of-charge in hotel rooms throughout the region was simply the best way we could think of to offer quality information to a wider audience.
It is not uncommon to see tourists standing on the reef, touching corals, & grabbing all sorts of animals. During sea turtle nesting season, even the agencies charged with protecting these endangered species have begun to abandon sound conservation practices to cater to the whims of tourists. Mangroves are routinely cut down and filled in by developers. Unsustainable practices are the norm in almost every activity that tourists participate in, and in the way the tourism industry does business. Lack of awareness is largely to blame.
More informed, and more demanding tourists are the key to changing the way business as usual is carried out by the tourism industry. Through education and the promotion of better practices among tourists and the tourism industry, unnecessary strain on reefs and other associated ecosystems can be reduced, and the negative impacts of tourism can be minimized, to the benefit of the region’s threatened ecosystems & endangered species, helping preserve biodiversity throughout the Mexican Caribbean.
Describe some unique tourist experiences that your approach provides. Be specific; give illustrative examples.
Rather than offering unique tours or lodging, the Green Guide enhances each tourist's experience by providing a deeper knowledge of the places visited, and providing the tools to minimize the impact of tourism regardless of the particular destination within the Mexican Caribbean.
Though we have no way of measuring the satisfaction of Green Guide readers, we have received congratulatory emails from visitors from the US, Europe and Latin America, along with those from other local and international NGOs, incluiding The International Ecotourism Society, and The Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation.
However, it is the backing local partners that have embraced the project- hotels and sponsors- that is most rewarding to us, for we know that their continued support is a reflection of their own customers' interest in the Green Guide.
What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?
We have been successful in obtaining the support of approximately 50 local businesses, but have made less progress on a broader strategy of partnering with hotel associations or chambers of commerce. This is partly due to the fact that we are a relatively new organization, but also due to the limited time we can devote to the project as volunteers. Simply creating a full-time paid position to oversee all aspects of the Green Guide- from publication and distribution, to the development of the audiovisual version- would go a long way towards expanding the reach and effectiveness of the Green Guide.
 | zombo09 dijo: Sounds like a great project, congratulations on your success. sobre este Competition Entry. - hace 1004 días leer más > |
| Robert Billington dijo: Great project Ms Gallagher. Congratulations to the volunteers that inspired the project and work to keep it a vital piece of Mexico's ... sobre este Competition Entry. - hace 1004 días leer más > |
| Mexiconservacion envió esta idea. - hace 1009 días |
