Orange, black, and a little bit of white is the new shade of conservation: the role of tourism in Monarch Butterfly Conservation in Mexico

Abstract

ABSTRACT Each year, the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico attracts thousands of people from Mexico and around the world to witness the overwintering phenomena of aggregating and migrating monarch butterflies. Thus, conservation and tourism are central components to the management of this protected area. Despite the popularity of tourism, few researchers have described the on-site experiences provided to visitors of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. An ethnographic study documented the infrastructure, trails, signage, visitor management, and education strategies provided to visitors in this Reserve. The goal of this study was to examine how anthropogenic impacts from tourism activities are currently managed, and to present suggestions that could enhance the conservation of monarch butterflies and tourism experiences in this iconic protected area.