Mexico’s Quintana Roo will be showcasing its latest sustainable tourism practices at the third annual Sustainable & Social Tourism Summit, which will be held in Cancun June 23 – 26. The event will bring national and international vendors, hotels and experts to a four-day sustainable tourism event aimed at experiencing and discussing the latest sustainability offerings in the market.
During the event officials will highlight a number of eco-friendly tourism offerings in the Quintana Roo. For example, the Fairmont Mayakoba’s Sustainability Partnership program sources fruits and vegetables from local Mayan villages, while the Green Globe-recognized Paradisus Playa del Carmen has its own onsite sustainability manager to manage the property’s sustainable measures. Additionally, Hotel Xcaret Mexico is the first hotel in Latin America to receive the EarthCheck Certification, which is awarded to properties that meet high standards of sustainability in their design and planning.
In terms of attractions, Nativa Park is a “natural museum” which, in addition to mass reforestation efforts, promotes the protection of the native melipona bee and invites visitors to taste its honey, which is said to have healing properties. In Akumal, a voluntourism experience sees travelers help with turtle monitoring and conservation while staying in a beachfront home, while in the natural biosphere of Sian Ka’an, travelers can take a tour of the mangroves with Blue Caribe to observe endemic fauna including manatees, crocodiles, turtles and dolphins. Many tour operators throughout the region including Alltournative, Rio Secreto and EcoColors, among others, provide sustainable tours and experiences to travelers with the goal to raise awareness and encourage preservation of the environment, officials say.
The region also enforces sustainability via the Secretary of Tourism’s “Distintivo S” (S distinction for sustainability), which provides benefits to hotels and tourism providers that maintain stringent energy and water preservation, according to the Quintana Roo tourism board. Sixty-three hotels and tour operators are certified in the Mexican Caribbean.
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