The recognition that Skal International granted to Canopy River gives Puerto Vallarta a reputation as a tourist destination, said the director of Municipal Tourism, Ludvig Estrada Virgen, at the ceremony in which the company received first place in the Community and Government Projects category of the prestigious international organization.
Nuria Flores, president of Skal Puerto Vallarta-Riviera Nayarit, reported that they make up the largest network of tourism professionals in the world. It currently has more than 13,000 members in 97 countries, whose vision is to maximize network business opportunities, promote destinations and develop a Responsible Tourism Industry.
“In 2002 it launched its own sustainable tourism awards to highlight the best practices worldwide, they are open annually to all companies in the public and private sectors, educational institutions, and NGOs. In 2021, more than 50 projects from 22 countries were submitted and the first place in the Community and Government Projects category was awarded to Canopy River. Today is a very special day for our club, this recognition is the result of the efforts of the entire team of that company”.
Estrada Virgen stressed that “obtaining recognition of sustainable community development gives our tourist destination a reputation. Canopy River is one of the great attractions that we have, the result of the effort of the entire community of the El Jorullo, which contributes important tourism to the destination. It also offers a wide variety of activities to the tourists who visit it, they are definitely an example to follow in the region”.
Sustainable tourism generates local jobs, encourages the creation and development of tourism businesses, provides capital income to the local economy, and reduces poverty thanks to job creation and the arrival of income.
Miguel Fregoso Castellón, current president of the board of directors of the El Jorullo Ecotourism Services cooperative in Puerto Vallarta, which operates Canopy River, stated that “it is a great honor for us to have achieved this recognition. From 2006 to date, our experience in ecological awareness has been the best university in the world, we understand that respect for the environment is fundamental in the sustainable social development of our ejido and our communities”.
