“Calakmul, Natural and Cultural Heritage”

In the framework of the First Calakmul Ecotourism Fair 2016 “Culture, Nature and Conservation”; the Technological University of Calakmul, the Tourism Bureau of the State of Campeche, the County Tourism Office of Calakmul, PRONATURA, The Calakmul Biosphere of CONANP and the Selva Maya Program of GIZ, organized the 1^st Symposium on Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism in Heritage Sites “Calakmul, Natural and Cultural Heritage”; On 20th and 21st October 2016.

The objective of the symposium was to disseminate, share and analyze tourism challenges and opportunities in heritage sites, as well as make proposals for the sustainability of low impact tourism. The event had three panels of discussion with the participation of national and international experts in the subjects of wildlife, challenges and opportunities of tourism in heritage sites and university-tourism linkage.

The wildlife panel was attended by Rafael Reyna, a biologist from the Southern Border College, Campeche Unit; Rodrigo Medellín, professor and researcher of the Ecology Institute at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and Roberto Rojo, biologist and director of the Planetarium of Playa del Carmen.

In the panel of tourism challenges and opportunities participated Oscar Navarro, Deputy Director of Tourism in Natural Protected Areas of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP); Carola Diez, Director of Haciendas of the Maya World Foundation; and Karola Tippmann, Consultant in Tourism of the Agency of German Cooperation in the municipality of Cozumel.

For the closing of the Ecotourism Fair, focusing the discussion of the linking of universities with the innovation and entrepreneurship of sustainable tourism, the third panel of the symposium was held. In this panel participated students and professors from the tourism and sustainable development programs of the Technological University of Calakmul, the Intercultural University of Tabasco, the Technological Institute of Campeche, the Technological Institute of Lerma and the Interamerican University for Development, Campeche Unit.

This event set a very important precedent for the municipality of Calakmul in boosting sustainable tourism, through the dissemination of scientific knowledge of biodiversity, as well as the participation of local tourism service providers, including communities specializing in the reception of nature tourism.

This event set a very important precedent for the municipality of Calakmul in boosting sustainable tourism, through the dissemination of scientific knowledge of biodiversity, as well as the participation of local tourism services providers, including communities specialized in nature tourism hosting.