With the participation of federal, state, and municipal authorities, experts, the private sector, and civil society, the Working Session “Participatory Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Nature and Adventure Tourism” was held at LABNL. This session was organized by the Ministry of Tourism through the Regional and Sectoral Tourism Directorate, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Citizen Participation.
During the session, the group of experts working on the strategy met to review the progress of the four specialized roundtables established this year—regulation and standards, safety and infrastructure, conservation and biodiversity, and communication and outreach—with the goal of developing a comprehensive policy to strengthen the sector.
Nuevo León’s Secretary of Tourism, Maricarmen Martínez Villarreal, highlighted that the state has 29 protected natural areas, covering more than 157,000 hectares, a natural heritage that must be used responsibly.
“Nature and adventure tourism is an economic and social driver. We want a model that generates sustainable wealth, protects biodiversity, and enhances community well-being. Furthermore, Nuevo León marks a turning point by consolidating a unique competency standard for adventure tourism services in the country. This strategy will allow us to welcome the world with a sustainable model heading into 2026,” said Martínez Villarreal.
As part of these initiatives, in 2023, the Ministry of Tourism established the first competency standard in Mexico (EC1663) for the provision of tourism services in nature and adventure activities, with the participation of 17 experts from government, academia, and the private sector.
Furthermore, brigades were held to verify and formalize service providers in the municipality of Santiago, a priority destination due to its natural wealth and the need to regulate the operation of adventure tourism activities.
At the session, authorities and specialists agreed to present the results to regional consultation forums in tourism-oriented municipalities, with the goal of strengthening local capacities and ensuring that the strategy is developed in a participatory manner.
The event was attended by the Secretary of the Environment, Raúl Lozano Caballero, and representatives from the Secretariat of Citizen Participation. They agreed that inter-institutional collaboration is key to ensuring responsible tourism development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Source: nl.gob
