Unlocking Local and Regional Development through Nature-Based Tourism: Exploring the Potential of Agroforestry and Regenerative Livestock Farming in Mexico

Abstract

Nature-based tourism offers several positive effects, including bringing tourists closer to nature and increasing environmental awareness among them, creating new sources of employment, diversifying local and regional economies, promoting the conservation of local ecosystems, and protecting biodiversity. A pilot exercise based on choice experiments is presented to estimate the monetary value per year of nature-based tourism (NbT). The exercise was applied in the Jamapa watershed in Mexico, and the results showed that NbT would amount to USD 7.7 million, with tourism activities linked to agroforestry and USD 5.5 million around regenerative cattle ranching. These results provide input for decision makers in developing public policies to benefit society, nature, and sustainable development.

Keywords

• nature-based tourism
• choice experiments
• public policy
• economic valuation
• ecosystem services