With a view to guaranteeing the preservation of the environment and its natural resources, improving urban infrastructure and public services, as well as contributing to social and economic development, the Ademp is promoting actions to convert Punta de Mita in the first sustainable tourism destination of Mexico.

Punta de Mita is a community of fishermen, artisans and service providers of less than 3,000 inhabitants, located on a peninsula on the northern tip of Banderas Baywithin the tourist corridor of Riviera Nayarit. It is one of the most exclusive tourist destinations, with high-end hotels, golf courses, boutiques and restaurants.

Origin of the project

Guillermo Ohemadvisor to the Association of Businessmen of Punta de Mita and Riviera Nayarit A.C.explains that in 2015, when this organization was founded, they began the process of seeking to obtain for this community the presidential declaration of sustainable tourism destination, over a polygon of 12,000 hectares that also includes the towns of Corral de Risco, Emiliano Zapata and Higuera Blanca.

In 2016, he adds, they began working with authorities from the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, the state of Nayarit, the Ministry of Tourism, Sedatu, Semarnat and the Ministry of the Interior to compile the dossier required to obtain the declaration.

"It is an orderly management of the territory and oriented with the objectives of sustainability that the United Nations Organization has proclaimed and that we have embraced this theme and that intends to provide a shield of conditions, of territorial planning, of sustainability in all aspects to the area of the polygon in question," he explains.

Ohem emphasizes that these 12,000 hectares of the polygon are a green environment that must be maintained and preserved for future generations to enjoy. For this reason, since Ademp began the process to obtain the declaration of Punta de Mita as a sustainable tourist destination, it has undertaken reforestation actions with endemic flora, with up to 600 species.

Inclusion and sense of belonging of communities

Ademp's advisor emphasizes that an essential part of the project is social inclusion, to generate a sense of belonging among the people, which is why the communities settled in the polygon are joining forces to build a public square with a base that has the identity of a coastal town on the Mexican Pacific coast.

"Efforts have been made in that sense that have materialized thanks to an investment in equal parts between the City of Banderas Bay and the Punta Mita Foundation and some amenities are being generated such as a kiosk, an amphitheater, walking areas, games, reading areas, so that the community can generate a coexistence," he emphasizes.

Adalberto MorenoAdemp's vice-president, states that the idea is that society and tourism can coexist, because now tourists no longer visit destinations only for the sun and the beach, but they also want to get to know the local culture, customs, food and traditions.

As part of the project, they also plan to provide the community with a sports facility to offer recreational and physical activity options to its inhabitants.

Coordination with governments

Since some of the objectives of having a sustainable destination are based on the improvement of public services such as garbage collection and potable water and sanitation, Moreno states that they must work in close coordination with government agencies.

"There we have to work a little bit more because many tourist investments are coming, but the drainage does not reach this area, so we have to manage a drainage program for each of the tourist developments so that we don't have a health problem," he says.

Guillermo Ohem clarifies that for many years they have maintained an ongoing dialogue with authorities, businessmen and the communities themselves, to make them see the attributes and advantages that can be derived from achieving the declaration of Punta de Mita like sustainable tourism developmentIn this way, each one of us, from the scope of his or her competence, contributes either by improving water quality, caring for the environment or not littering.

It is time to act

Adalberto Moreno assures that they are very excited about this great project that will be an example for other regions of the country that tourism can be developed without affecting the environment.

"It would be a very good first step to transmit to all those involved in tourism that it is possible to conserve the environment and that in the long term we should seek a clean environment, conserve it and improve it," he says.

"Punta de Mita is an area in full growth, we have several tourist developments that are in the process of starting or building and we think it is the ideal time to do this, because it is not an impacted area, it is an area to grow and we would not want the growth to be disorderly, to destroy the environment, it is the time to take care of it."

This can be achieved with a management plan that will dictate what has to be done, when it has to be done and who is responsible for doing it. The same can be replicated in Sinaloa, Baja California, Quintana Roo or everywhere.

Project goals:

• Reduce water consumption by up to 54%.
• Conserve the densities and land use destined for the tourist zone, leaving the territory from the highway to the mountain with low densities.
• Create green corridors, bicycle paths, recreational parks and green buildings.
• Regulating facades, advertisements and urban furniture.
• Comprehensive improvement of the towns of Emiliano Zapata, Corral del Risco and Higuera Blanca.