The Mexican Caribbean hosted the first edition of los Premios Nacionales de Turismo Sostenible, Inclusivo y Justo, which publicly recognized innovative initiatives.
BBVA’s Sustainability Director, Sergio Torres Lebrija, led the awards ceremony for the first-place winners of the BBVA National Sustainability Challenge for the containment and use of sargassum, “Together for the Mexican Caribbean,” which was won by the Bioenergy project of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) and Sargapanel of the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM).
The award for the Best Initiative for the Promotion of Sustainable Tourism went to the tourism promotion campaign New Era Mexican Caribbean of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, an award that was presented by Municipal President Estefanía Mercado.
The Rutopía Project won the award for the Best Initiative for Tourism of Indigenous Peoples, while the award for the Best Initiative for Climate Change Mitigation went to the Decarbonization Initiative of the Iberostar Group, presented by the Minister Counselor of Green Agenda and Technological Transition of the Delegation of the European Union in Mexico, Javier Arribas Quintana.
Rutopía is an online platform that connects tourists with rural communities in Mexico. The aim is to help these communities and thus contribute to the sustainability of our planet and its ecosystems.
Rural communities in Mexico are struggling to survive. They are isolated, have few opportunities and lack resources. But they also have a rich and unique culture that they want to help and protect.
Rutopía is known as the “Airbnb” of rural communities in Mexico. It is a project that connects tourists from around the world with rural communities in Mexico, where they can stay and learn about sustainable living, community development and cultural exchange.
Rutopía was founded by a group of friends who had spent time volunteering at an orphanage called Casa Hogar Matilde Peralta de Cobre, in Durango. Their experience inspired them and they decided to create something similar with other communities in Mexico. Their goal is to help these places become self-sufficient by providing them with income from tourists who want to visit them, as well as promoting sustainable tourism practices throughout the country through workshops and training sessions at each place visited by guests staying there during their stay in Mexico.rutopia.com.
The award for the Best Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation went to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a model for conservation in the Mexican Caribbean that promotes ecotourism and environmental education involving communities and visitors.
Likewise, the award for the Best Initiative for the Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion went to Manos Xuaves, a program that incorporates collaborators and artists with hearing disabilities in Xcaret.
Also, the award for the Best Initiative with Socioeconomic Impact went to Bernardo Cueto, State Secretary of Tourism, for the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism 2030 of Quintana Roo; the Best Initiative for Sustainable Technological Innovation was awarded to the project Regeneration of corals through artificial reefs by 3D Printing with collected sargassum, by the company THRASOS3D.
On the other hand, the award for the Best Sustainable, Inclusive and/or Fair Product and/or Service was won by the Inclusive Tourism Seal project, from the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), which allows people with disabilities to enjoy quality tourist experiences.
The last award of the night, for Best Philanthropy Initiative for Sustainable Tourism, was presented by Liliana Bravo, president of AMEXME, to the Mexican Fund for Nature Conservation, a leading environmental protection organization that finances conservation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable tourism projects in Mexico.
