Evolution of Ecotourism in Coastal Indigenous Communities: Comparison of the Case Studies of La Ventanilla and La Escobilla in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

The state of Oaxaca is one of the most economically depressed in Mexico, and this has been recently aggravated by various geopolitical and ecological events that make the lives of its inhabitants even more precarious. There is a strong interest in accelerating the state’s development with sustainable alternatives. Within the neighbouring communities of La Ventanilla and La Escobilla in the Coast of Oaxaca, the promotion of the protection and productive use of sea turtles through ecotourism has been introduced. However, the two communities have observed different socio-economic development rates. This article aims to analyse these two case studies and why La Ventanilla has made ecotourism its livelihood, whereas, in La Escobilla, it has been a source of problems. The objective is, therefore, to analyse the evolution of their ecotourism initiatives and draw a comparison between both communities to understand the differences. This objective was evaluated through surveys, expert observation, and subsequent SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). In the next step, TOWS Optimum Strategic Alternative matrices were created to establish strategies for future proposals. The authors found a clear disparity between the two communities in terms of Strengths—La Ventanilla is 55% higher than La Escobilla—and Weaknesses—La Escobilla is 43% higher than La Ventanilla. The possible suggested causes could be “sanctuary status”, “urban planning”, “different origins of the problems”, “diversification of the ecotourism product”, and “external focus”. Consequently, community empowerment, sustainable urban planning, the creation of a diversification plan for ecotourism activities, or a dissemination strategy, in addition to project proposals with external research organisations and NGOs, are considered essential strategies for the success of the ecotourism plan and thus for the sustainable development and conservation of sea turtles.

1. Introduction

Oceans are the livelihood and main source of income for people living in coastal communities worldwide. Traditionally, the inhabitants of the coast of the State of Oaxaca, on the Pacific coast of southern Mexico, lived from the exploitation of natural resources. This is the case for the Indigenous Zapotec communities of La Ventanilla and La Escobilla (Oaxaca, Mexico) since their arrival to the region: first, by capturing turtles on land and at sea, later through ecotourism practices to protect their natural area and more specifically, one of their most emblematic species, the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), or the endangered leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea [1]).

The capture and butchering of sea turtles began in the sixties in Mazunte (Oaxaca, Mexico), close to La Ventanilla, as well as in the surrounding towns. The construction of the “Rastro”, by PIOSA company (Pesquera Industrial de Oaxaca S.A.) [2], a factory where sea turtles were processed after hunting, led to a turtle hunting boom in the area and, with it, an exodus of people to the coast in search of work. Unlike in La Escobilla, the inhabitants of La Ventanilla did not belong to any cooperative and did not work as employees of the Rastro [3], and only benefited economically through the (illegal) sale of sea turtle eggs [4]. Sea turtle populations in the area were rapidly depleted. On 31 May 1990, the federal government declared a total and indefinite ban on all sea turtle species, as well as their products and by-products [5] in waters under federal jurisdiction in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, as well as in the Pacific Ocean, including the Gulf of California [6]. With the imposition of the ban, the Rastro had to close. Coastal communities had to readjust their economic activity in search of other environmentally sustainable activities, but many people continued, illegally, hunting sea turtles. To mitigate community pressure on sea turtle resources, it was a priority to establish alternatives for indirect use by local people [7]. On a large scale, prosperity increases the environmental impact, but at the same time, increasing economic growth also may increase the need for environmental protection [8]. This is how ecotourism emerges and is understood to be active, participatory, and sustainable tourism both for the environment and the traditions, culture, and local economy [9,10,11,12].

Ecotourism is expressed as a sustainable tourism format where natural and cultural assets are conserved, where environmental impact is minimised, which proposes the participation of stakeholders; where the local culture is respected; and where the locals are provided with socio-economic benefits, which features educational characteristics in terms of environment and culture [13]. Through ecotourism, it is intended to promote ecological culture [14], and the experience has shown that alternative tourism is viable and profitable not only economically but also bringing with it several social benefits [15].

In 1991, the Biological Research Centre of the Sea Turtle (Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga, henceforth, CMT) was created in Mazunte, whose purpose was to work on the conservation of sea turtles through research activities, as well as through the promotion of tourism sector in the area [16]. The current role of this centre is very important in the area, being responsible for the operation of the Sea Turtle Protection and Conservation Centres (Centros de Protección y Conservación de Tortugas Marinas-CPCTM) of La Escobilla, Barra de la Cruz, and Morro Ayuta, having camps where research tasks are developed with the help of volunteers and members of the Cooperatives [17].

Despite the beginnings of their economic activity in agronomy and fishing (the coastal territory of Oaxaca had a first agricultural stage [18]), La Ventanilla and La Escobilla selected ecotourism as a pattern of development.

For an adequate practice of ecotourism, its management should be cross-cutting and inter-ministerial. In addition, regulatory frameworks and their enforcement must be established and updated [7,19]. Ecotourism planning may also be part of natural resource management [20]. To consider all dimensions of the ecotourism, planners should use multi-criteria decision-making techniques and participatory approaches [20]. This is what is being pursued in these two communities. Sea turtle tourism carried out under strict sustainability criteria can be one of the most genuine forms of ecotourism [7].

This manuscript is based on two previous studies made by the authors in La Ventanilla, 2011 [14] and La Escobilla, 2018 [16], where the socioeconomic and environmental situations were analysed. After ten years of fieldwork observing the growth of the communities, the aim of this manuscript is to analyse the evolution of ecotourism, with the intention of verifying whether the differences between both communities can be tested through a SWOT analysis, and to find the possible causes of these differences, as well as to obtain conclusions that can be extended to other studies using the same methodology. To meet the target, the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT factors) [21,22] were identified and scored through interviews to the inhabitants, expert opinions, field observation, and considering similar works in the literature review. A comparison of the data obtained in the SWOT matrix for each community was then presented, and some practical and useful strategies for the future were identified using a TOWS matrix for the sustainable development of ecotourism in the area. The significant advantage of the proposed approach is that it is very general and can be applied to works that need comparisons based on the SWOT analysis in different fields.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Area

The study area is focused on the two Indigenous communities of La Ventanilla and La Escobilla in the coastal area of the state of Oaxaca (Figure 1), where ecotourism was developed as a way of life, supporting other traditional activities. Figure 2 shows the map of the urban distribution and patrolling area of La Ventanilla and La Escobilla.

2.1.1. La Ventanilla Community

The community of La Ventanilla is in the Municipality of Santa María de Tonameca, approximately 14 km southwest of San Pedro Pochutla and 3.5 km east of the town of Mazunte. Coordinates: 15°40′19″ N, 96°34′19″ W; 14P (760,268, 1,734,139) in UTM. It has approximately 210 inhabitants [4] and was established in the 1960s, when the first settlers left the municipality of Santa María Tonameca in search of fertile land.

The economic activity of La Ventanilla is framed in two distinct periods [3]. The first period (1969–1995) is related to the predominance of hunting activities, artisanal fishing, and subsistence agriculture, as well as incipient tourism, while the second (1996 to date) is characterised by the rise of the nature-based tourism and activities related to environmental conservation [3].

At present, nearly all the inhabitants of La Ventanilla are members of two cooperatives for ecotourism services, dedicating their daily work to a greater extent to the cooperative’s own activities: tourist guide services, food services or local commerce. These cooperatives are the Ecotourism Services Cooperative Society “La Ventanilla” (“Sociedad Cooperativa de Servicios Ecoturísticos La Ventanilla S.A. de R.L.”, henceforth, “La Ventanilla” cooperative) and the “Lagarto Real” cooperative (Sociedad Cooperativa “Lagarto Real”).

La Ventanilla cooperative was founded in 1995 as an economic alternative after the ban on the exploitation of sea turtles [14], supported by governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as academic institutions [14]. In 2001, they were formed as a management unit of the Conservation of Wildlife (UMA), to promote a strategy of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to identify and support communities that make sustainable use of wildlife [25].

The Lagarto Real cooperative, emerged after a split due to a conflict of interests of some members who were dissatisfied with the distribution of activities, added to external interests from tour operators by seeking to break the cooperative to obtain a greater percentage in the sale of ecotourism tours. This cooperative was considered weaker than La Ventanilla cooperative, as it had no links to any NGO or governmental institution [3]. However, the Lagarto Real cooperative currently carries out mangrove reforestation actions and offers well-qualified guided mangrove tours, while the La Ventanilla cooperative offers night patrols on the beach to collect turtle nests, release turtle hatchlings, as well as guided mangrove tours, and conservation work for the American crocodile (Cocodrylus acutus) and other species that inhabit the mangrove swamp. It also runs a small museum and a wildlife recovery centre.

The relationship between the two cooperatives has never been good, but this situation is slowly improving. The inhabitants of La Ventanilla agree that the community’s development increased thanks to ecotourism activities when these became their main source of income. Thus, the community project of La Ventanilla is a consequence of good organization, its success in using natural resources, and the commitment of its inhabitants to maintain their culture [26].

2.1.2. La Escobilla Community

La Escobilla is a community adjacent to La Ventanilla, located in the Municipality of Santa María Tonameca, District of Pochutla, state of Oaxaca. It borders the Pacific Ocean to the south, Barra del Potrero to the west, and is contiguous to La Ventanilla and the community of Vainilla to the east. The boundaries of the community are located between kilometres 179 and 182 of the federal highway 200 Pinotepa Nacional-Salina Cruz [27].

In 2018, according to the census carried out by the Escobilla agency, there were 384 inhabitants living in the community, and more than half were women [16]. In the protected area, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography reports that there were no human settlements within the Escobilla beach sanctuary [4,28]. There are only two buildings: one corresponds to the permanent camp occupied by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas-CONANP) and the Secretary of the Navy (Secretaría de Marina-SEMAR) [4].

The community of La Escobilla was established in the middle of the 20th century. In 1955, the community had 10 settled families. Historically, the main livelihoods were fishing for flake fish, salt production, turtle egg harvesting, and marine chelonian cutting, as well as the entry and expansion of agriculture into the lowlands and mangroves during the 1970s [29]. The federal highway fragments this dispersed community (there is not a population centre as such) into two clearly differentiated areas [16] (the beach and the hill), which, due to their geographical position, determine their productive activities, ranging from agriculture to fishing.

In 1986, La Escobilla beach was designated as a reserve zone and refuge site for the protection, conservation, repopulation, development, and control of the various species of sea turtles, the nesting sites and the nesting sites of this species [16,30].

With the foundation of the CMT (Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga), whose sea turtle monitoring activities were closely linked to the community of La Escobilla, a turtle camp was established on Escobilla beach. In 2002, all areas designated as reserve zones and refuge sites in Mexican territory were designated as Protected Natural Areas (PNA), with the category of the sanctuary [16,31]. In 2004 the Sociedad Cooperativa El Santuario de la Tortuga Escobilla S.C. de R.L., de C.V. (henceforth, “La Escobilla” cooperative) was founded, legally formalised in 2006 [14], promoted by the Mexican government, and managed by the CMT. Its members belong to the Zapotec ethnic group, and the main goal of this union was to obtain resources to subsist without resorting to fishing the chelonians or looting their eggs.

La Escobilla cooperative formally offers ecotourism services, and currently, this cooperative must coexist with another cooperative formed in 2020, Cooperative La Salina, as well as a new group, the Las Golfinas group, which does not yet have the legal status of a cooperative.

What makes this community unique is that on its beach occurs a seasonal phenomenon for the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles’ nesting: the large arrivals or “arribada” (henceforth, “arrival”: nesting of hundreds or even thousands of sea turtles for a few days, 2–3 days, up to, usually, one week). This inexplicable behaviour in sea turtles, only found in the genus Lepidochelys, makes Escobilla beach one of the most important in the world for its conservation, considering that very few beaches boast this phenomenon [32].

Statistics show an increase in the nesting data taken at sanctuary “La Escobilla” between 1973 and 2014 [28]. The sanctuary of “La Escobilla” has the largest hatchery of olive ridley turtle nests on the planet, and they have just built an even larger hatchery pen to house the large number of nests they collect in the patrols to protect the sea turtles.

2.2. Methodology

A historical overview of both communities was acquired by analysing the qualitative data collected during two earlier investigations in La Ventanilla [14] and La Escobilla [16]. These two studies were contrasted with current quantitative data taken in the field in 2022, following an ethnographic method, combined with sea turtle conservation work through ecotourism activities. The evolution of ecotourism was assessed by means of a survey of the inhabitants of La Ventanilla and La Escobilla, as well as expert opinion. Subsequently, a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) was carried out, and a table of percentage differences was drawn up to compare the current situation of the two communities. The TOWS matrix was broadened to obtain strategies for both La Ventanilla and La Escobilla.

2.2.1. Inhabitants’ Surveys

The surveys provided to inhabitants were conducted by selecting a broad spectrum of workers from all cooperatives operating in the area, as well as inhabitants who did not belong to any cooperative. The surveys were collected by hand, interviewing respondents in their homes or workplaces. Respondents were only asked about their opinion of their own community. The interviewer asked them questions, and since some of them had difficulties in reading or writing, the interviewer filled in the corresponding fields.

The limitation of using this ethnographic method lies in the subjectivity of opinions, as sometimes the respondent may not feel fully comfortable answering confidentially, thus providing biased data. At all times, an attempt was made to ensure that the respondent was unaccompanied, emphasising the anonymity of the surveys themselves. The questions were asked as objectively as possible, without trying to influence the respondent’s answer positively or negatively. Each question had a specific purpose, was divided into sections, and had a multiple-choice option:

• Ecotourism as a source of income. To assess the presence of ecotourism in the productive life of the community.
• Occupation. To know the productive tasks of the community and the influence of ecotourism on it.
• Opinion of ecotourism in the community. To evaluate the degree of satisfaction of the inhabitant with the implementation of ecotourism projects and the consideration of the same as a source of regular income.
• Influence of the designation of the beach as a sanctuary. To find out whether the protection of the beach influenced the community and, therefore, to check the effectiveness of the measures taken for the conservation of the sea turtle by governmental actions.
• Evolution of ecotourism in the community and the current state of the socio-economic and environmental situation after ten years of ecotourism. This section is also used to ask about the role of women in ecotourism work in their community, as well as equal opportunities to receive training, or to carry out guiding and monitoring tasks traditionally assigned to men.
• The role of ecotourism in the conservation of sea turtles in the community, as well as the role this species plays in the socio-economic development of the community. This section takes the opportunity to ask about the presence of second cooperatives and the degree of benefit this brings to the conservation of the species.
• Existing problems in the community. The aim is to find out the needs of the population and their concerns about the current situation, on the understanding that on many occasions, the inhabitants of these communities assume the problems as part of their daily lives and therefore do not identify them as such.

For the surveys to be representative, the sample size was derived from the following equation [16]:

$$n=\frac{k^{2}pqN}{e^2\left(N-1\right)+k^{2}pq}$$

The sample size needed to achieve 75% confidence was found where:

* k is the constant associated with the confidence level, 1.15, in this case.

* p and q have a value of 0.5.

* N, the size of the population under study, 398 + 198.

* e, which is usually considered to be 5%; therefore, its value is 0.05.

Therefore, according to the formula, with a sample of n = 108 people, we would obtain a 75% confidence to confirm an observation on the communities. Considering that 66% of the total sample is in La Escobilla and 33% in La Ventanilla, 72 people from La Escobilla and 36 from La Ventanilla were surveyed.

2.2.2. SWOT-TOWS Matrix

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) is widely applied in the decision-making process in ecotourism management [12]. Since the 1990s, the SWOT analysis has gradually been applied to the field of tourism planning, providing a strategic basis for the analysis and evaluation of the comprehensive competitiveness and the formulation of development goals and plans of tourism destinations [33]. The SWOT analysis has become a basic method to comprehensively examine unstable situations in sustainable development [34,35].

The SWOT analysis aims to identify the internal and external factors as key factors [36] and develop plans and strategies to minimise the impact of Weaknesses and Threats and amplify the benefits from existing Strengths and Opportunities [13]. The strengths and weaknesses (local analysis) are the internal factors, while opportunities and threats (global analysis) are external factors [13,37,38]. The rationale of the approach is that a successful plan optimises the strengths and opportunities of the system and mitigates vulnerabilities and risks [39,40]. The next step of the SWOT analyses is the development of combined strategies in the TOWS matrix [35]. The TOWS matrix helps to find out systematic relationships between strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and offers a structure for generating strategies based on these relationships [35,41].

The Strengths and Weaknesses were tabulated in the internal factor estimate matrix (IFEM), and the Opportunities and Threats were tabulated in the external factor estimate matrix (EFEM). Factors were weighted and scored following the SWOT procedure on strategic management analysis (SWOT matrix analysis) that helped to identify the key strategic factors [12]. Regarding ecotourism development and natural and socio-economic development in the area, SWOT factors were scored in both communities and ranked by the experts based on field experiences and previous work.

For the scoring process, the factors were given a coefficient between 0 and 1 (standing for “not important” and “most important”, respectively) [37]. The sum of the coefficients is equal to one. This coefficient represents the relative significance of the factor in success rate [37] and is represented by the term “weight” in the IFEM and EFEM. Each factor was scored with a number between one and four (1 = weak; 2 = medium; 3 = good; 4 = excellent) [12]. The weighted score is obtained by multiplying Weight and Score [42]. The total final Score for each Factor is calculated by summing the numbers of the “Weighted score” column of the Strengths and Weaknesses in the internal matrix and Opportunities and Threats in the external matrix. The total final Score for IFEM and EFEM is calculated by summing the numbers of the “Weighted score” column of the internal matrix and external matrix, respectively.

Percentage differences were then calculated by comparing the S-W-O and T values of La Escobilla over La Ventanilla as follows:

$$\left(\frac{X_E-X_V}{X_E}\right)100$$

Finally, with the collected strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified in the SWOT analyses, and in order to form combined strategies, a TOWS matrix for each community has been created. Foresight strategies were selected by a pairwise matrix of the following S-O (strengths-opportunities), S-T (strengths-threats), W-O (weaknesses-opportunities) and W-T (weaknesses-threats) [12] for sustainable development of ecotourism in La Ventanilla and La Escobilla, respectively.

3. Results

3.1. Survey Analyses

A total of 108 people, 72 from the La Escobilla Community and 36 from the La Ventanilla Community, were surveyed in May, June, and July 2022 to generate the SWOT matrix. The main results are collected below:

Ecotourism as a source of sustainable environment and socioeconomic development: Ecotourism is the tool used by members of the La Ventanilla community as a means of livelihood. Most of the community (82.5%) engages in ecotourism activities at some time of the year; some do so permanently, others seasonally, compared to 17.5% who are engaged in other jobs. Since this percentage of the inhabitants of La Ventanilla is involved in ecotourism, it is logical to understand that 100% of the respondents in this community consider ecotourism a good development strategy and an important tool for natural environment management and social development. In the community of La Escobilla, 22% of the population is involved in ecotourism activities, either temporarily or permanently, compared to 78% who are engaged in other activities. The 16% of the respondents think that tourism has improved the community economically, compared to 84% who think that most of the community does not benefit economically from tourism. 15% think that sea turtle conservation work is a strategy for socioeconomic community growth, compared to 85% who believe that the community cannot only be developed through sea turtle conservation actions.

Sea turtle conservation through ecotourism: In the community of La Ventanilla, there is a firm conviction (100% of surveyed) that due to ecotourism development over the last ten years, they have been able to conserve their mangroves, as well as the populations of sea turtles that arrive on their beaches. A percentage of 83% think that vigilance of La Ventanilla beach inhibits the presence of looters, and the eggs are taken to a hatching pen. However, looters from other villages continue to loot the nests on the beach at night. A total of 85% believe that ecotourism is beneficial for turtle conservation and that conservation work can be a good development strategy for the community. 83% consider that sea turtle populations have recovered in recent years, partly thanks to ecotourism activities. In La Escobilla, 50% of the respondents disagreed with the statement that ecotourism favours sea turtle conservation. The general perception in La Escobilla is that the number of turtles has increased (67%), but there is a diversity of opinions regarding the reasons for this recovery. The members of the cooperatives (22%) (especially the original cooperative members) maintain that it is thanks, among other natural reasons, to the arduous conservation work they have been carrying out for years. Inhabitants who do not belong to any cooperative in La Escobilla attribute this recovery to reasons unrelated to ecotourism (78%): the migration of looters, the capture of natural predators of the turtles (e.g., capture of sharks [2]) and the gradual loss of interest in sea turtle consumer products. A total of 30% of those surveyed in the community mentioned that ecotourism is not a good tool for the management of the natural environment because, after its introduction, together with the sanctuary status, only the members of the cooperative were permitted to exploit the sea turtles as a resource. However, the looting continues every night.

Regarding the sanctuary category in La Ventanilla, only those working directly in turtle conservation understood what this category entailed, and 100% of them felt that with the government taking control of the community’s resources, there would begin to be many limitations on their work. They felt that bureaucracy, as well as decision-making by people who are not in touch with the reality of the community, would complicate their conservation and ecotourism work. Only one person considered it positive that government could intervene to control the beach, facing a possible threat of the presence of people behaving inappropriately. In La Escobilla, 57% of those agree that the Sanctuary category is positive for sea turtle conservation. 14% see their activities compromised, and 29% consider that they are neither positively nor negatively affected by Escobilla’s Sanctuary status.

Internal organisational problems, 50% of the people in La Escobilla consider that they have problems with a community organisation in which dialogue has not helped them to understand each other and reach agreements. The inhabitants of La Ventanilla have not commented on the matter.

The role of women in the cooperatives: In La Ventanilla, 24% of women work in a cooperative, although not all of them work as ecotourism guides (their work in the cooperatives is more focused on cleaning or catering), while this figure doubles (51%) in La Escobilla, where women do occupy, increasingly predominantly, guide positions. The trend is that more women express a desire to join a cooperative in La Escobilla.

3.2. SWOT Analyses

Based on the data obtained from the survey’s results, as well as the data detected by experts in situ and in previous works, a SWOT analysis was carried out for each community. The results are shown below (

Table 1. Internal Factor Estimation Matrix (IFEM) for La Ventanilla.

	Row	Internal Factor	Weight	Score	Weighted Score
Strengths	S1	A village with exceptionally conserved natural resources	0.100	4	0.400
	S2	Long history in the field of ecotourism and conservation: experience and recognition.	0.090	3	0.270
	S3	Stable income from ecotourism; the community no longer bases its economy on turtle and natural resource exploitation.	0.125	4	0.500
	S4	Community formed around an urban nucleus: community feeling.	0.090	4	0.360
	S5	Community with traditional palm construction values.	0.050	2	0.100
	S6	All have the same goal to conserve, and this unites them despite their barriers.	0.090	3	0.270
	S7	The patrols prevent looting on the beaches, and this means conservation of sea turtles as well as more ecotourism activities.	0.060	1	0.060
	Sum		0.605		1.960
Weaknesses	W1	Difficulty of dialogue between different community groups.	0.1225	4	0.490
	W2	Lack of ecotourism activities with sea turtles in the nesting off-season.	0.0625	1	0.0625
	W3	Lack of community tools, and barriers to improve their development.	0.050	3	0.150
	W4	Lack of dissemination strategies to be recognised outside their environment.	0.070	2	0.140
	W5	Expansion of less sustainable construction due to natural disasters.	0.060	1	0.060
	W6	Lack of woman’s interest in being trained in ecotourism activities.	0.030	1	0.030
	Sum		0.395		0.9325
	Total		1		2.8925

,

Table 2. External Factor Estimation Matrix (EFEM) for La Ventanilla.

	Row	External Factor	Weight	Score	Weighted Score
Opportunities	O1	Development of new ecotourism activities involving wildlife conservation.	0.095	3	0.285
	O2	Stabilization of ecotourism activities on the Oaxaca coast.	0.175	4	0.700
	O3	Access of Ventanilla community to new dissemination strategies.	0.100	4	0.400
	O4	Proximity to the town of Mazunte, a booming tourist destination.	0.125	4	0.500
	O5	Women’s access to all types of training and ecotourism activities.	0.090	2	0.180
	Sum		0.585		2.065
Threats	T1	Development of bad environmental practices in the absence of control by the authorities.	0.125	3	0.375
	T2	Increasingly frequent natural disasters.	0.100	1	0.100
	T3	The sale of plots of land to investors who do not think in a sustainable way.	0.100	2	0.200
	T4	Mass tourism.	0.090	2	0.180
	Sum		0.415		0.855
	Total		1		2.920

,

Table 3. Internal Factor Estimation Matrix (IFEM) for La Escobilla.

	Row	Internal Factor	Weight	Score	Weighted Score
Strengths	S1	Long history in the field of ecotourism and conservation: experience and recognition.	0.065	3	0.195
	S2	The place is well known for tourist purposes during the mass nesting phenomenon.	0.095	4	0.380
	S3	There is a growing interest in the community to be involved in ecotourism, so they have been trained as guides.	0.085	3	0.255
	S4	Groups have been divided according to the entrances to the Sanctuary, avoiding conflicts arising from possible competition.	0.030	3	0.090
	S5	Women’s presence in guiding tasks.	0.075	3	0.225
	S6	Interest of the main cooperative in hosting research or outreach projects.	0.065	2	0.130
	Sum		0.415		1.275
Weaknesses	W1	The difficulty of dialogue between community groups, since the community is not included as part of the cooperatives and the most important cooperative does not offer opportunities for the rest of the community. Monopolization.	0.100	4	0.40
	W2	Community continues basing its economy on turtle and natural resource exploitation.	0.090	3	0.270
	W3	Government (CMT) exerts pressure on ecotourism activities and decision-making without good planning, which limits ecotourism-based development.	0.080	2	0.160
	W4	Turtle arrivals and nesting are irregular, and it is the only developed ecotourism attraction. Lack of diversification.	0.090	3	0.270
	W5	Community isolation and geographic dispersion	0.075	3	0.225
	W6	Lack of dissemination strategies to be recognised outside their environment.	0.030	1	0.030
	W7	Unable to prevent environmental exploitation and looting due to poor relationship between organised groups.	0.070	2	0.140
	W8	Poor infrastructure to accommodate tourism, as well as lack of catering options.	0.050	1	0.050
	Sum		0.585		1.545
			1		2.82

and

Table 4. External Factor Estimation Matrix (EFEM) for La Escobilla.

	Row	External Factor	Weight	Score	Weighted Score
Opportunities	O1	Presence of large numbers of turtles almost all year round, a phenomenon that is almost unique in the world, thanks to conservation work.	0.145	4	0.580
	O2	Migration of looters to the United States, which implies an improvement in sea turtle conservation and makes the beach safer for ecotourism patrols.	0.075	3	0.225
	O3	The growing interest in funding conservation projects in the area by external entities, the scientific community, and NGOs.	0.075	3	0.225
	O4	Access of Escobilla community to new dissemination strategies.	0.050	3	0.150
	O5	Stabilization of ecotourism activities on the Oaxaca coast.	0.125	4	0.500
	O6	Women’s access to all types of training and ecotourism activities.	0.085	3	0.255
	Sum		0.555		1.935
Threats	T1	Conservation not being part of the community development strategy due to government irregular and unplanned measures on ecotourism (CMT) and impediments from the most important cooperative.	0.100	2	0.200
	T2	External presence on the beach: external looters and uncontrolled tourism accessing the beach outside permitted access points.	0.060	3	0.180
	T3	Increasingly frequent natural disasters.	0.085	1	0.085
	T4	The community is far from urban areas with tourist potential.	0.080	3	0.240
	T5	Competition from neighbouring towns closer to the tourist centres that have begun to work on turtle releases, which means that conventional tourists, less aware of ecotourism, avoid travelling to Escobilla.	0.120	4	0.480
	Sum		0.445		1.185
			1		3.12

):

IFEM for La Ventanilla: Seven strength (S) factors with weights between 0.050 and 0.125 were identified in La Ventanilla. Based on weights and an effective score (3–4), four effective factors were categorised as the most significant strength factors (Table 1). S1. A village with exceptionally conserved natural resources; S2. Long history in ecotourism and conservation: experience and recognition; S3. Stable income from ecotourism: the community no longer bases its economy on turtle and natural resource exploitation; S4. Community formed around an urban nucleus: community feeling; and S6. All have the same goal to conserve, and this unites them, despite their barriers. Furthermore, three weakness (W) factors with weights between 0.030 and 0.1225 were explored. Based on the weights and effective scores (3–4), two effective factors were found to be the most important weakness factors among them (Table 1). W1. Difficulty of dialogue between different community groups; and W3. Lack of community tools and barriers to improving their development.

EFEM for La Ventanilla: There were five selected opportunities (O), and four of them with higher weights (0.090–0.175) (Table 2). The most important opportunities (3–4 score) in La Ventanilla are O1. Development of new ecotourism activities involving wildlife conservation; O2. Stabilization of ecotourism activities on the Oaxaca coast; O3. Access of Ventanilla community to new dissemination strategies; and O4. Proximity to the town of Mazunte, a booming tourist destination. The threats (T) included four factors (Table 2), and there was one effective threat with a score of 3 that could negatively influence sustainable ecotourism: T1. Development of poor environmental practices in the absence of control by the authorities.

IFEM for La Escobilla: Six strength (S) factors were identified in La Escobilla. Based on weights and effective scores (3–4), five effective factors including were categorised as the most significant strength factors (Table 3): S1. Long history in the field of ecotourism and conservation: experience and recognition; S2. The place is well known for tourist purposes during the mass nesting phenomenon; S3. There is a growing interest in the community to be involved in ecotourism, so they have been trained as guides; S4. Groups have been divided according to the entrances to the Sanctuary, avoiding conflicts arising from the possible competition; S5. Women’s presence in guiding tasks. On the weakness (W), four factors over eight were identified as the most important weaknesses (3–4 score): W1. Difficulty of dialogue between community groups and monopolization; W2. Community continues basing its economy on turtle and natural resource exploitation; W4. Turtle arrivals and nesting are irregular, and it is the only developed ecotourism attraction. Lack of diversification; W5. Community isolation and geographic dispersion.

EFEM for La Escobilla: The six selected opportunities (O) were scored with 3 or 4 due to their importance in the ecotourism development for Escobilla (Table 4). Therefore, the opportunities presented in this community are O1. Presence of large numbers of turtles almost all year round; O2. Migration of looters to the United States, which implies an improvement in sea turtle conservation and makes the beach safer for ecotourism patrols; O3. The growing interest in funding conservation projects in the area by external entities. Scientific community and NGOs; O4. Access of Escobilla community to new dissemination strategies; O5. Stabilization of ecotourism activities on the Oaxaca coast; and O6. Women’s access to all types of training and ecotourism activities. The threats (T) included five factors (Table 4), and there were three effective threats with high scores (3–4) that could negatively influence sustainable ecotourism: T1. External presence on the beach: external looters and uncontrolled tourism accessing the beach outside permitted access points; T4. The community is far from urban areas with tourist potential; and T5. Competition from neighbouring towns closer to the tourist centres that have begun to work on turtle releases.

Finally, a percentage analysis was carried out using the data collected in the SWOT analyses to compare the results obtained in both communities. The results are shown in the following table (

Table 5. Percentage differences between the two communities.

	La Ventanilla	La Escobilla	%
Strength	1.985	1.275	−55.68
Weakness	0.8825	1.545	42.88
Opportunity	1.970	1.935	−1.81
Threats	0.855	1.045	18.18

):

Table 5 clearly shows the strength of one community compared to the other: in the internal matrix, La Ventanilla has strengths that outweigh those of Escobilla by 55%, while La Escobilla has weaknesses that outweigh those of La Ventanilla by 43%. In the external matrix, there is essentially no difference in terms of opportunities and, in terms of threats, the factors that threaten La Escobilla outweigh those that threaten La Ventanilla by 18%.

3.3. Spatial Planning Strategies–TOWS Matrix

The Spatial Planning Strategies are derived from the TOWS matrix. The best strategy to be implemented in each community was not quantitatively evaluated in this study since the main objective was the comparison between both communities to understand the different states of development between them. Therefore, in this study, we proceed to outline the strategies in a TOWS matrix for each case study (

Table 6. LA VENTANILLA TOWS MATRIX-Optimum strategies for ecotourism development.

LA VENTANILLA	OPPORTUNITIES	THREATS
	O1. Development of new ecotourism activities involving wildlife conservation.	T1. Development of bad environmental practices in the absence of control by the authorities.
	O2. Stabilization of ecotourism activities on the Oaxaca coast.	T2. Increasingly frequent natural disasters.
	O3. Access of Ventanilla community to new dissemination strategies.	T3. The sale of plots of land to investors who do not think in a sustainable way.
	O4. Proximity to the town of Mazunte, a booming tourist destination.	T4. Mass tourism.
	O5. Women’s access to all types of training and ecotourism activities.
STRENGTHS	S-O	S-T
S1. A very natural village that conserves its natural resources. S2. Long history in the field of ecotourism and conservation: experience and recognition. S3. Stable income from ecotourism; The community no longer bases its economy on turtle and natural resource exploitation. S4. Community formed around an urban nucleus, generates a community feeling. S5. Community with traditional palm construction values S6. All have the same objective to conserve, and this unites them, despite their barriers. S7. The patrols prevent looting on the beaches, and this means the conservation of sea turtles as well as more ecotourism activities.	SO1. To work on experiences involving community visitors to create jobs for hostelry (accommodation, food), since tourists just visit La Ventanilla to do the mangrove tour for a few hours. (S1, S2, S3, S4, S6, O1, O2, O4) SO2. To invest in improving their promotion and ecotourist services now that they are being known as a highlight of ecotourism on the Oaxaca coast. (S1, S2, S3, S6, O2, O3) SO3. To promote women’s integration, taking advantage of the new job opportunities offered by ecotourism in the area. (S1, S2, S3, S6, O1, O2, O5)	ST1. To strengthen the traditional construction and the protocol against natural disasters to protect belongings and life. (S4, S5, T2) ST2. To establish an urban construction strategy that respects the traditional architecture of La Ventanilla. (S4, S5, S6, T1, T3, T4) ST3. To focus their target audience on ecotourists to avoid growing on the wrong path, people committed to nature. (S1, S2, S6, S7, T1, T3, T4)
WEAKNESSES	W-O	W-T
W1. Difficulty of dialogue between community groups. W2. Lack of ecotourism activities with sea turtles in the nesting off-season. W3. Lack of community tools and barriers to improving their development. W4. Lack of dissemination strategies to be recognised outside their environment. W5. Expansion of less sustainable construction due to natural disasters. W6. Lack of womens’ interest in being trained in ecotourism activities.	WO1. To find an impartial organization to mediate between the differences between both cooperatives. (W1, O2) WO2. To develop a promotion strategy that considers the low season for sea turtles nesting. (W2, W3, W4, O1, O4) WO3. To focus their development on the ecotourism goals, keeping the traditional values in terms of customs, urban planning, and activities, despite environmental problems of frequent, increasing natural disasters. (W1, W5, T1, T2) WO4. To develop activities and training courses to involve women in ecotourism as guides. (W6, O5)	WT1. To make the community aware of the preservation of their land, or to be sure that the people who buy the land will consider ecological and traditional construction for La Ventanilla. (W1, W3, W5, T1, T3) WT2. To diversify the ecotourist services that La Ventanilla offers to have less competition between them. (W1, W2, W3, W6, T1, T4)

and

Table 7. LA ESCOBILLA TOWS MATRIX-Optimum strategies for ecotourism development.

LA ESCOBILLA	OPPORTUNITIES	THREATS
	O1. The presence of large numbers of turtles almost all year round is a phenomenon that is almost unique in the world, thanks to conservation work.	T1. Conservation not being part of the community development strategy due to government irregular and unplanned measures on ecotourism (CMT) and impediments from the most important cooperative.
	O2. Migration of looters to the United States implies an improvement in sea turtle conservation and makes the beach safer for ecotourism patrols.	T2. External presence on the beach: external looters and uncontrolled tourism accessing the beach outside the permitted access point.
	O3. The growing interest in funding conservation projects in the area by external entities. Scientific community and NGOs.	T3. Increasingly frequent natural disasters
	O4. Access of Escobilla community to new dissemination strategies.	T4. The community is far from urban areas with tourist potential.
	O5. Stabilization of ecotourism activities on the Oaxaca coast.	T5. Competition from neighbouring towns closer to the tourist centres that have begun to work on turtle releases.
	O6. Women’s access to all types of training and ecotourism activities.
STRENGTHS	S-O	S-T
S1. Long history in the field of ecotourism and conservation: experience and recognition. S2. The place is well known for tourist purposes during the mass nesting phenomenon. S3. There is a growing interest by the community to be involved in ecotourism, so they have been trained as guides. S4. Groups have been divided according to the entrances to the sanctuary, avoiding conflicts arising from possible competition. S5. Women’s presence in guiding tasks S6. Interest of the main co-operative in hosting research or outreach projects	SO1. Working on the leadership and skills of the women participants would lead to the ecotourism development of the community. (S5, S3, S4, O6, O5) SO2. Work on developing complementary activities in which people feel comfortable and capable, such as local food demonstrations, trekking, bird watching, or canoeing. (S2, S3, S4, S5, O1, O2, O5) SO3. Persuade non-governmental entities to work on key points for the appropriate development of the community, and ensure they have a good prior analysis. (S3, S2, S1, O3, O5, O1, O6)	ST1. Work on a sea turtle conservation plan in which a large part of the community can take part. (S1, S2, S3, T1, T2) ST2. NGOs to work on threats, acting as mediators and professional trainers. (S3, S4, S5, S6, T1, T2) ST3. Work on a sustainable ecotourism and dissemination plan and urban plan to tackle isolation and the consequences of natural disasters, taking advantage of the special situation of La Escobilla, recognised as a unique site for the protection of sea turtles. (S1, S2, S3, T3, T4, T5)
WEAKNESSES	W-O	W-T
W1. Difficulty of dialogue between community groups. Monopolization of the oldest cooperative. W2. Community continues to base its economy on turtle and natural resource exploitation. W3. Government (CMT) exerts pressure on ecotourism activities and decision-making without good planning, which limits ecotourism-based development. W4. Turtle arrivals and nesting are irregular and the only developed ecotourism attraction. Lack of diversification. W5. Community isolation and geographic dispersion. W6. Lack of dissemination strategies to be recognised outside their environment. W7. Unable to prevent environmental exploitation and looting due to poor relationship between organised groups. W8. Poor infrastructure to accommodate tourism, as well as lack of catering options.	WO1. Sea turtle nesting is irregular. For that, they must create a strategy to ensures people can see turtles (packages of more than one day of activities). (W2, W4, O2, O5) WO2. As ecotourism strategy in the community is more established in La Escobilla, looting will decrease or, at least, it will be more regulated between the same people from the community. (W1, W3, W4, W7, O1, O2) WO3. To strengthen the promotion of their services, to deal with the isolation and the lack of dissemination. Asking for support of the NGOs and other private funding for these proposes could help. (W5, W6, W1, O3, O4, O5) WO4. To invest in ecotourism infrastructure (accommodation and restaurants) taking advantage of the growing interest of tourists in the area. (W5, W8, O5, O1, O3, O6)	WT1. Monitor the work of the CMT through another external entity, to obtain more licenses for the cooperatives operating in La Escobilla. (W1, W3, W7, T1, T2) WT2. Provide training to the members of the cooperatives so that they can work in line with the premises of the CMT to preserve the beach and live on ecotourism activity. (W1, W3, W4, W7, T1, T2) WT3. Work on a common project involving all members of the community, to jointly fight against ecotourism competition from other neighbouring communities. (W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, W8, T1, T2, T4, T5) WT4. Reinforcing infrastructure with natural materials, considering the proliferation of natural disasters. (W5, W8, T3, T4, T5)

), leaving open a line of research where these strategies are analysed in depth, as well as choosing the strategy that, according to the QSPM analysis (Qualitative Strategic Planning Matrix), will help improve ecotourism in each community.

4. Discussion

As a result of the SWOT analysis for both communities, it can be inferred that the external factors (Opportunities and Threats) are more balanced, given that the environment of both communities is very similar. In terms of Strengths and Weaknesses, however, the authors find a clear difference between the two communities, emphasizing the prosperous situation in La Ventanilla compared to La Escobilla. Therefore, we can infer that the greatest differences in the degree of development of ecotourism in both communities are due to factors internal to the community itself. In view of the differences observed in the weighting and scoring of the factors in the SWOT analyses, the discussion of the situation is framed below based on the following assumptions:

• Sanctuary Category
  Because the Escobilla beach is classified as a sanctuary, it entails a series of undeniable environmental benefits [16,28]: the sea turtles enjoy a system of vigilance throughout the year—more intense on “arrival” days—as well as the natural area itself. More than half of La Escobilla’s population is satisfied with this status due to the greater control on the beaches, the prohibition of tourists from entering the protected area freely, and the increasing of economic profit during the “arrival” periods.
  On the other hand, there is a widespread opinion among the conservationist inhabitants of La Escobilla that the sanctuary’s restrictions are not adequately enforced, putting pressure only on those working in ecotourism activities while night-time looting by other members of the community continues, a fact observed by the authors in the surveys, and reported by Carmena in his 2018 study [16]. This leads to a sense of frustration for those who try to sustainably and legally live on their land.
  The sanctuary designation implies restrictions on the daily work of conservationists [28]. At La Escobilla, only members of the original cooperative have access to the hatchery pen, managed by the CMT [16], and to the release of hatchlings from the pen, and only they can handle the eggs. The other groups (La Salina and Las Golfinas) have guiding credentials but work within very restricted limits without employing people from the community, as the income earned is barely enough to support themselves. Only members of the La Escobilla cooperative offer night tours.
  As Vargas del Río et al. noted in their study of ecotourism in the Coast of Oaxaca, the political context becomes more complex with more political actors interested in controlling resources [3]. This is more pronounced if the actors are external to the communities. In 2021, the CMT banned all conservation groups from accessing the beach during the first days of the “arribada” to avoid a massive presence of tourists. The cooperatives may only approach the beach and show the “arrivals” to tourists from afar. This has derived in a considerable loss in the flow of tourists, who go to other nearby beaches to carry out the turtle releases.
  The situation in La Ventanilla is radically different: they are not a sanctuary, and even though they comply with current environmental regulations, they escape certain restrictions and therefore are free to carry out their ecotourism activities. They feel that bureaucracy and decision-making by people who are not in touch with the reality of the community would complicate their conservation and ecotourism work, as we can infer through the surveys.
   
  Summary: Being a natural sanctuary that defines the interactions of the community with its environment. It is a plus for attracting tourists, but at the same time, the management of these tourists is limited by the restrictions. Those restrictions are not equally applied among all beach residents, putting pressure on those trying to exploit the beach in a sustainable way, but without getting looters to stop patrolling the beaches for nesting turtles during non-arrival nights.
• Urban Planning
  An important fact to note, and one that influences community thinking, is geographical distribution. This region was recently populated [2], and in two different ways in both communities, as can be seen in Figure 2. La Ventanilla is formed around a small urban nucleus, where restaurants and local handicraft shops have been established around the two visitor centres, on the village’s main street. The life of its inhabitants takes place between this street, the beach, and the mangrove. The community of La Escobilla, however, is made up of scattered houses along a stretch of the federal road [4]. There is no urban nucleus as such, and the turtle camp, run by the CMT, is located outside the boundaries of the village. This means that for most of the community, the camp, the beach, and the main visitor reception centre, is difficult to access, and is a possible cause, from the point of view of the authors, of discouragement on the part of the inhabitants of La Escobilla to become involved in ecotourism. Furthermore, the community of La Escobilla is isolated [4], far from major tourist centres, unlike Ventanilla, which receives a good flow of visitors from Mazunte and other localities through agencies.
  This adds to a growing threat for La Escobilla: the appearance of strong competition from new turtle camps in areas close to Puerto Escondido (Bacocho, Punta Colorada, Palmarito, Agua Dulce [43]), the largest tourist centre. This implies that tourists choose this option to attend sea turtle hatchling release activities, and only the most conscientious tourists decide to travel to La Escobilla to live the experience, as members of La Escobilla Cooperative assure. This is translated into a loss of visitors and, therefore, a problem for the cooperatives, which try to have these activities as the sole source of their livelihood.
  The lack of proximity to major tourist centres, together with a lack of social cohesion due to the absence of daily interactions between neighbours, are seen as a cause of Escobilla’s problems in moving forward with the ecotourism project.
• Different Origins of Social Problems
  In the case of both communities, social relations have never been easy, as was previously studied by Cordon [14] and Carmena [16]. Multiple internal conflicts mark their history. Zárate Ángela et al. noted that the state of Oaxaca is the one that registers the greatest number of environmental conflicts within its territory and at the same time, is the entity with the greatest biocultural diversity [4]. The present conservation scheme is the result of mobilizations, conflicts, confrontations, disagreements, and negotiations with federal, state, and local authorities [4].
  Over the years, and possibly due to the positive influence of the entry of new generations into the cooperatives, the inhabitants of the La Ventanilla community were forced to join the ecotourism project as the most profitable option. Hunting, artisanal fishing and subsistence farming activities were gradually abandoned in favour of the development of nature-based tourism and activities related to environmental conservation [3]. In the long term, this resulted in a benefit to the community. Just as ecotourism, in the beginning, was a source of envy. Vargas del Río et al. concluded that in their study in La Ventanilla, ecotourism socio-economically strengthened the six original local service providers but implied greater environmental restrictions, while part of the local population was marginalised from productive activities and lost control over the communal territory [3]. Today, ecotourism has established itself as the main means of livelihood in La Ventanilla [14,26].
  In La Escobilla, the evolution was just the opposite: at the beginning, the 97 existing families joined the ecotourism project, but many of them quickly returned to egg extraction and sea turtle hunting as the ecotourism was not profitable enough, leaving only the 13 families in charge of the cooperative who continue with the work today [16]. From that moment on, there was fragmentation in the cooperative between those who wanted to exploit the sea turtle and those who wanted to conserve it. The only one of the three mentioned groups that currently makes a living from ecotourism throughout the year is the La Escobilla Cooperative.
  Coexistence among these three groups is not easy. Because there is no supply of visitors for all the guides, there is no coordination between groups, and because there is reticence by the people who supported the original project about the quality of the tours and the coherence of the services offered by the new guides. Today, looting and ecotourism are opposing paths to profit from sea turtles. In La Escobilla, moreover, there is no generational replacement [16], as there is in La Ventanilla. Young people desire to migrate to the United States in search of opportunities [2], and few decide to continue with their parents’ work as they see no options for improvement in the near future, resulting in a lack of motivation for entrepreneurship.
  As Tiburcio Pintos reflects [7], when ecotourism is based on community participation, it is an excellent way to discourage the direct exploitation of turtles and their eggs. However, it requires time, effort, and patience on the behalf of the communities. It can be inferred that ecotourism, if poorly developed, can endanger coexistence within a community and the nature that surrounds it, and if well managed, can create bonds of belonging to the land, which implies a greater desire to conserve the environment.
• Diversification of the ecotourism product
  Ecotourism should not be the only economic alternative for a protected natural area or community. Diversification of activities in communities avoids economic dependence on a single source of income. Moreover, this bears in mind that tourism can be an unstable and seasonal product, beyond the boom currently taking place in the area. According to Early Capistrán, in 2014, there were less than 12 weeks of active tourism per year in the area, which makes jobs in the service sector unpredictable [2]. The diversification of activities is in line with a study that has also adopted this approach, carried out in the Chi Phat Community in Cambodia, where an ecotourism project started in 2016 and has grown rapidly (86 guides at present). This study concluded that ecotourism should try to adopt a supply chain that prioritises the involvement of other local sectors in the village, particularly the agricultural sector [44]. In this way, it is reinforced the need for non-dependence on a single activity for community development. If this does not occur, the project may fail and result in community fragmentation and, in our case, the proliferation of turtle nest looters, endangering the conservation of the area.
  In La Ventanilla today, almost the whole community lives in the ecotourism project, and they have diversified their available projects, eliminating their seasonality. In fact, the success of the different conservation and nature-based tourism projects in La Ventanilla has become an exemplary initiative for other communities, as concluded by Vargas del Río et al. [3]. However, in La Escobilla, the lack of diversification of the ecotourism activities by focusing only on seasonal activities related to sea turtles, and the lack of internal cohesion, could be the causes of the degradation of the community project, as well as to the continuation of extractive activities, relegating conservationist action only to the members of the cooperatives.
• External Focus
  A remarkable element in this study is the external people’s approach to these communities. Undoubtedly, this area is currently booming, but the attention from outsiders, for the time, follows two different lines: the foreign investments in La Ventanilla, and the conservation projects and aid from non-profit organisations in La Escobilla.
  The town of Mazunte has been steadily growing in recent years, which means increased investment in the area. However, at the same time, development leads to problems in terms of water stress, insecurity, and unfair competition in the price of food and accommodation [4]. This has significantly increased since the pandemic. In contrast to Mazunte, the community of La Ventanilla, a short three kilometres away, still allows for a more sensory and biocultural experience [4]. The proximity to Mazunte and its natural beauty has made La Ventanilla the next target for foreign investors, as Vargas del Río et al. also argued ten years ago [3]. These investors may be looking for economic profitability in a booming area, without considering the traditional architecture and the carrying capacity of the site. This provides a source of income for some inhabitants of La Ventanilla, putting at risk the socio-cultural values and the community project.
  In this regard, the case of La Escobilla is different. The status as a sanctuary affords it protection from the unsustainable growth of uncontrolled urban development: all access points to the beach are protected by the government, and there is no possibility of building in the area [16,28], except in compliance with very specific conditions that are of no interest to this type of investor. On the other hand, the extraordinary natural characteristics of the area, the phenomena of the “arrivals”, and the sanctuary status make La Escobilla a very attractive place for researchers, NGOs, sustainable travel agencies, and other foundations. It converts the external focus to allies for the inhabitants of La Escobilla and a strength for future opportunities.
  Both communities share the threats of a potential occurrence of a natural disaster. Mexico’s geographical location means that the country has strong seismic activity (Cocos plate, North American plate, and San Andres [45]). Without going any further, the recent devastating Hurricane Agatha (May 2022) makes the recovery of these communities complex. The whole area is currently raising funds for reconstruction, but aid from government institutions is slow to arrive, which is why they are relying on projects with resources from NGOs and other social organizations.
  As can be seen, these communities are constantly living in a fragile equilibrium, and one of their strengths is that if they remain firm in their focus on ecotourism, this empowers them and may offer great opportunities in the future.

Future and Proposals

Several measures have been chosen as potential recommendations for the future to enhance the growth of these ecotourism-based communities in terms of the TOWS analysis:

In La Ventanilla, the development of new ecotourism activities involving wildlife conservation is proposed as an opportunity, which, when added to existing ones, can generate a complete ecotourism strategy, providing visitors with the possibility of staying overnight in the community, creating more accommodation places. The activities will be established over time and thus face the threat of a possible emergence of illegal ecotourism activities, as well as the danger of the future assumption of bad practices in the absence of government control.

The elaboration of a sustainable urban development plan is necessary for the near future to address the threat of unsustainable growth by outsiders and to implement a protocol against natural disasters. It is important to spread awareness in the community to preserve land, or to make sure that the people who are going to buy the land adopt the ecological and traditional construction that prevails in La Ventanilla.

In La Escobilla, there is an opportunity for growth due to interest from foreign non-profit organisations, NGOs, universities, and foundations in the community due to its unique natural characteristics. The aim is to encourage these organizations to work on the key issues for appropriate community development, making sure they have a suitable pre-analysis. The slow but gradual disappearance of large-scale looters, as well as the loss of interest in the consumption of turtle eggs, is seen as an opportunity not only for the conservation of the species, but also for the development of sustainable projects in the whole area, with the possibility of earning a stable salary through conservation work. In this sense, La Escobilla will have to address the increasingly frequent restrictions that the government places on the cooperatives to carry out their ecotourism activities, restrictions that, in many cases, are far removed from what really happens on the beach.

The members of the La Escobilla cooperative will have to deal with the coexistence of more people interested in participating as guides, understanding that, if well organised, the work can be shared among more individuals. It is therefore proposed to develop a sea turtle conservation plan in which the community can be involved, and workers will be provided with training and supervision. To reverse the negative trend that La Escobilla has experienced, it is necessary for the community to join efforts towards good community communication, involving more guides, opening to dialogue, and generating awareness about the importance of the conservation of the area.

It is also necessary to develop a diversification plan for ecotourism activities in La Escobilla. The seasonal nature of the sea turtles will be addressed, exploring new project lines, in the same way, that La Ventanilla operates: mangrove trails, environmental education workshops, wildlife observation beyond the sea turtles, interpretative hiking, recycling workshops, etc. With a diversified ecotourism strategy, packages will be prepared that include different activities over several days, giving people the possibility to patrol the beaches for more than one night, and increasing the possibility of witnessing a nesting. The inclusion of more activities within the ecotourism strategy will also help to solve the internal conflicts arising from distrust of the presence of many guides for the same type of work, and in the future, it will be possible to outline a sustainable community project involving the whole community. At the same time, this comprehensive program can attract more people from neighbouring tourist towns.

Women have a strong presence as ecotourism guides in La Escobilla, while this is not the case in La Ventanilla. Training workshops for women in La Ventanilla are proposed, with women workers from Escobilla themselves as part of the training staff, to diversify the tasks of women in La Ventanilla and their professional aspirations.

It would be positive to find, for both communities, impartial organizations (NGOs or alike) to work on the root threats, being mediators and educators on the issues of collaboration and conservation work, mediating between cooperatives within the communities.

The lack of a dissemination strategy that would provide communities visibility for the promotion of their products is a problem that needs to be faced. Both communities must develop a dissemination plan, including the use of social networks to promote the activities carried out in both communities beyond their own borders.

5. Conclusions

The following conclusions are drawn from the analysis carried out in this study:

In this study, the success of these ecotourism projects in this study, although influenced by environmental conditions, is more dependent on the internal conditions (Strengths and Weaknesses). The internal organization can be highlighted as a key factor for the community’s future development and has more influence than other external factors (threats and opportunities in the environment). From the SWOT results, the strengths of the La Ventanilla’s outweigh those of La Escobilla by 55% in terms of weighting, while La Escobilla’s weaknesses outweigh those of La Ventanilla’s by 43%. At the same time, the threats and opportunities are balanced, implying that there are no major differences between communities in terms of external factors. SWOT and TOWS analyses are, therefore, an adequate and straightforward methodology for comparative studies in ecotourism, providing an overview of a community’s situation, and the weights and scores supported the establishment of percentage differences, indicating the status of one community over another.

Urban planning, understood as a strength in the case of La Ventanilla, and as a weakness in the case of La Escobilla, has been defined in this study as an important characteristic that determines the success of an ecotourism project, as it is understood as a tool that reinforces community spirit. The existence of an urban nucleus is seen as a cohesive element of the community, involves all the inhabitants in a common project that avoids fragmentation. Accessibility is a factor to be considered: on the one hand, isolation implies a gradual loss of tourists due to increasing competition from places closer to their holiday destinations. On the other hand, to be close to large tourist centres, as well as the presence of investors from outside the community, may imply a threat to these environmentally and socio-culturally vulnerable projects. The first case corresponds to La Escobilla and the second one to La Ventanilla.

It can be inferred that environmental protection and ecotourism development do not always go hand in hand, due to the laws to protect the natural environment may affect the communities that try to sustainably live from it: in La Escobilla, almost half of the population (43%) is of the opinion that being a sanctuary is not positive for the conservation of sea turtles, understanding that they cannot operate in ecotourism work, while looting continues every day. In La Ventanilla, it is considered that decision-making by outsiders would complicate conservation efforts, and the ecotourism project would be weakened.

Furthermore, in this study, the implementation of an ecotourism project does not guarantee the successful development of the community, even if all those involved support it at the beginning. The introduction of ecotourism depends on many variables, including, to a large extent, a sustained economic benefit over time. If it is not profitable in a short-medium time, the project is quickly weakened. This was the case in La Escobilla, where initially the whole community joined the project, and at present only 22% of them have ecotourism as their main source of income. There is a predominant opinion (84% of respondents) that most of the community does not benefit economically from ecotourism. However, in La Ventanilla, 82.5% carry out ecotourism activities at some time of the year and were therefore satisfied with the ecotourism project as a means of livelihood.

The lack of diversification and the dependence on a single ecotourism product, most of the time seasonal, will highly probably endanger the project. This is accentuated in these two communities, where one of the main products is sea turtle observation, which is a seasonal activity. In the case of Escobilla, the lack of diversification implies a lack of sustained job opportunities over time. However, in Ventanilla, ecotourism products are diversified (mangrove tours, birdwatching, sea turtle patrols, hatchling releases), which provides them with a year-round income.

We can finally conclude that after comparing these two neighbouring communities, a priori with the same objective, the implementation of an ecotourism project—a good development opportunity—is a very complex task determined by many factors, both internal and external, and an imbalance in any of these factors, especially the internal factors, as has been demonstrated in this study, could lead to the failure of the project.