Valores, Creencias y Normas de los Prestadores de Servicios Turísticos y conservación del Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, México

Abstract

Tourist service providers (TSPs) of diving are widely benefited by the tourist attraction capacity of the “Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel” (PNAC), in the Mexican Caribbean, but the values, beliefs and norms about the conservation of the natural space are diverse, which makes it difficult to achieve a sustainable management of ecosystem services in the face of chronic tourist pressure. The objective of this research was to explore the relationships between the TSP´s values, beliefs and norms towards the conservation of the PNAC and the environmental impacts of tourism. The method of data collection was qualitative, with a triangulation that included an interview script to a sample of providers of diving tourism services and administrative collaborators of the PNAC, a focus group workshop for diagnostic with tourism service providers of diving and participant observation of diving. It was established that providers' intentions are predetermined by systems of external influences, regulated by more influential social peer groups. The results are useful for designing public conservation policies and good environmental practices for tourism development and ecosystem uses in the PNAC.

Keywords

• diving
• conservation
• behavior
• parque nacional arrecifes de cozumel