Abstract

LIZAMA PEREZ, Fabiola; DOMINGUEZ COLIN, Raymundo; HERNANDEZ GARIBAY, Juan Roberto  and  ORTIZ MARTINEZ, Fabiola Itzel. Circular Economy for the Development of Sustainable Tourism in Indigenous Communities of the Mayan Train. RIDE. Rev. Iberoam. Investig. Desarro. Educ [online]. 2025, vol.16, n.31, e996.  Epub Mar 02, 2026. ISSN 2007-7467.  https://doi.org/10.23913/ride.v16i31.2690.

The state of Tabasco, located in southeastern Mexico, possesses remarkable biocultural wealth, particularly along the Ríos Mayas tourist route, where the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers-the most voluminous in the country-converge. These ecosystems provide essential environmental services that sustain the well-being of rural and Indigenous communities inhabiting the region. This research, conducted through a mixed-methods approach, aimed to diagnose the current situation of these communities in relation to the principles of the circular economy, in order to assess the feasibility of establishing an ethnobiological garden as a strategy for environmental education and sustainable tourism development.

The results reveal a favorable attitude among local micro-entrepreneurs toward adopting circular economy practices, recognizing their potential to strengthen community well-being, diversify the economy, and reduce environmental impacts. Likewise, the creation of an ethnobiological garden emerges as an opportunity for environmental learning and awareness, fostering responsible tourism experiences and intercultural dialogue between visitors and local inhabitants. However, the study also identifies significant challenges regarding environmental certification, as participants acknowledge its importance for business competitiveness and sustainability, yet none of the surveyed enterprises hold any form of certification. These findings transcend the regional context by underscoring the need to strengthen local capacities for environmental governance while recognizing ancestral knowledge as a fundamental component of global strategies for circular tourism and the conservation of biocultural heritage.

Keywords : 2030 Agenda; Environmental Education; Memorable Experiences; Ethnobiological Gardens; Garden Tourism.

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