Mexico Launches Strategy for Sustainable Ocean-Based Tourism

Mexico's Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) unveiled the Strategy for Sustainable Ocean-Based Tourism Activities, aimed at promoting economic development in coastal communities while preserving their natural and cultural heritage. 

Miguel Torruco, Minister of Tourism, explained that the strategy originated in 2018, when the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, known as the Ocean Panel, was established. This global initiative includes representatives from 18 nations working together to protect oceans, promote sustainable production, and ensure equitable prosperity.

In Mexico, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated an interinstitutional and multisectoral working group to develop the Strategy for Implementing a Sustainable Ocean Economy in 2021, laying the groundwork for the program developed by SECTUR. The initiative is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and executed by SECTUR in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This is the first GEF-funded project in the tourism sector. SECTUR collaborates with three local partners to implement the project: Conservation of Mexican Insular Territory, in Baja California Sur; the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Oaxaca; and Amigos de Sian Ka’an (Friends of Sian Ka’an) in Quintana Roo.

The Strategy for Sustainable Ocean-Based Tourism Activities in Mexico 2023-2030 supports Mexico's commitment to the Ocean Panel, particularly in the globally and nationally significant tourism sector. It also aligns with Mexico's voluntary commitment at the Second United Nations Ocean Conference and contributes to the goals of the Strategy for Implementing a Sustainable Ocean Economy in Mexico 2021-2023.