An organization that promotes sustainable tourist destinations has named Querétaro’s Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve one of the top 100 most sustainable destinations in the world.

The only Mexican destination on the list, it was selected by Green Destinations in recognition of the conservation and sustainable tourism efforts of the Sierra Gorda Ecological Group, Sierra Gorda Ecotours and local and state governments.

The fourth edition of the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations selected the winners based on an analysis of efforts to encourage local communities to participate in tourism and environmental protection, as well as attractions for visitors.

The Sierra Gorda reserve will be recognized at Berlin’s International Tourism Fair in March.

The Sierra Gorda is part of the Western Sierra Madre, and its 383,000 hectares make up 32% of the state of Querétaro. It was officially declared a biosphere reserve in 1997.

On average, the reserve welcomes 218,000 tourists annually, representing economic spillover of 1 billion pesos.

The Sierra Gorda takes in semi-deserts to cloud forests, boasts mountains from 200 to 3,000 meters above sea level and is home to 100 different species of mammals, 300 kinds of birds, 650 different types of butterflies, and a large variety of other fauna, reptiles, amphibians, fish and vegetation.

Source: El Financiero (sp)