Alternative tourism: a pathway for sustainability in the Cabo Pulmo National Park, Baja California Sur, Mexico: a SWOT analysis

Abstract

Many studies highlight alternative tourism as a path for sustainable local development in marine protected areas. However appropriate tools to measure the sustainability of tourism development must be implemented. The case of our study is the Cabo Pulmo National Park, located in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The methodology applied is the IUCN sustainability assessment and an analysis of Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses and Threats (SWOT), based on a comprehensive review of statistics and documents, and on an opinion survey of the main stakeholders and key players. The analysis clearly shows that there are elements for sustainability based on alternative tourism. Nevertheless, to achieve this desirable model of development some constraints need to be overcome. Based on our analysis, we underscore the main points which should be taken into account in the process of policy making. Albeit oriented to the needs of a specific community, we think that these considerations should be of benefit in constructing sustainable development projects elsewhere, in similar small coastal communities with alternative tourism activities.