The border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, plans to transform hunting ranches into ecotourism destinations during the off-season of white-tailed deer hunting, in an effort to diversify tourism revenue in the region.

Nuevo Laredo Tourism Director Alfredo Guarneros Carranza said that the initiative emerged from recent meetings with the National Association of Diversified Livestock Producers (Angadi).

Guarneros said the project already has support from Nuevo Laredo’s municipal government.

“We are proposing that [ranch owners] make use of their ranches during the off-season for white-tailed deer hunting,” Guarneros said, adding that the goal would be to attract ecotourists looking for weekend stays or even a full week in peaceful surroundings.

If it moves forward, the ecotourism proposal would complement hunting tourism, an activity that draws thousands of national and international visitors between November and February each year, for white-tailed deer hunting.

Hunting tourism takes advantage of the natural richness of northern Tamaulipas and operates under regulated hunting seasons, allowing for a balance between habitat and species conservation.

Guarneros said the ecotourism proposal aims for ranches to generate income year-round, reducing their dependence on a single season and at the same time showcasing a more conservation-oriented approach to wildlife and responsible land use.

Ranchers already have the infrastructure to house ecotourists, he said, in addition to having experience hosting visitors thanks to their hunting tourism activities.

“We have the ranches with the houses, the trails, the places where you can watch birds, enjoy a sunset, or take early morning hikes and return to relax with excellent service,” Guarneros said.

Guarneros explained that ecotourists prefer destinations that are far removed from urban and technological environments, in which they can “escape to a peaceful place, surrounded by nature where they know they will forget about their cell phone, television and the news.”

According to estimates from industry experts, ecotourism remains among the most dynamic travel segments globally, with double-digit growth rates above traditional tourism, making it a particularly attractive niche for destinations seeking to diversify their offerings.

With reports from La Jornada