In recent years, analysts’ interest in understanding sustainability as a new and exclusive economic paradigm has been matched by the research for tools that might both promote and hinder it. In particular, innovation has been widely regarded for its beneficial effects on sustainability, whereas corruption has been regarded for its negative implications. This study adds to our understanding of these linkages by revealing that, depending on the nature of the sustainability targets, these important drivers can have varying effects. Therefore, using a sample of Italian firms, through SEM analysis, we estimate two latent variables representing innovation and corruption for their relationship with sustainability in two models, covering two sets of indicators (sustainable industrialization and sustainable employment and labour). Whereas both models’ results indicate that innovation and sustainability have a substantial positive link, the relationship between corruption and sustainability yields contradictory results. Furthermore, the findings show a negative relationship between innovation and corruption. As a result, the distinction between types of sustainability leads to a different interpretation of how their driving factors operate. This approach suggests the establishment of more tailored sustainability strategies, in line with the diverse consequences that may arise when corruption, innovation, and sustainability are at play.

This paper offers an approach to Yucatecan social reality in terms of entrepreneurship and the process of creating companies dedicated to the production and/or commercialization of agroecological products, considering its contribution to sustainable rural development. The key actors’ perspective towards the existence of policies that favor land sustainability, assist in the development of rural areas and their population, and support these business initiatives is also presented. Likewise, it illustrates the small entrepreneurs’ standpoint on the role of public institutions in promoting wealth generation and sustainable development in lower growth areas, such as the state of Yucatan, in Mexico. A qualitative methodology was used for this research, based on in-depth interviews with a group of businessmen and -women from the region. The main results give a pessimistic view of institutional concern regarding both production and consumption of agroecological products and, therefore, the promotion of these enterprises for the socioeconomic development of Yucatan. From these findings, we detect: (a) A policy of scarce support for this type of production, due to political priorities; (b) inadequate management that prevents the consolidation of certain structures needed to support agroecological enterprises; (c) a lack of confidence in the Yucatecan government, which does not promote or support a social network of collaboration between agroecological producers and marketers; (d) a difficulty in undertaking agroecological enterprises because of social and cultural norms and poor environmental awareness among the population; (e) significant training deficiencies among entrepreneurs in agroecological agriculture; (f) absence of adequate distribution channels for agroecological products; and (g) excessive bureaucratic obstacles through laws that hinder entrepreneurial processes.

Most studies on crowding perception have focused on terrestrial natural areas and, to a lesser extent, on marine areas. The cenotes (sinkholes) of the Yucatán Peninsula are flooded caves that comprise one of the largest freshwater reserves in Mexico, and their use is rapidly changing from agricultural-livestock to tourism-recreational. Determining crowding indicators and standards has proven to be an effective tool in making the social dimension of carrying capacity in tourism-recreational sites operative and contributing to its sustainable management. This study used normative theory and the visual method to identify the crowding standards of visitors to two cenotes located in the community of San Antonio Mulix in Yucatán and to compare these standards in three types of visitors: local, national and international. Likewise, willingness to pay (WTP) for each type of visitor was identified and its correlation to perceived crowding was analyzed. The results found that visitor acceptability in both cenotes decreased as the number of people increased. In both cenotes international visitors have the most restricted crowding acceptability levels and are those who are willing to pay a higher entry fee. Finally, the results are discussed in the framework of better management of the cenotes.

Just before the lockdown caused by the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, the archeological sites close to the Mexican Caribbean were having an exponential number of visitors. The restrictions on traveling due to the pandemic resulted in a decrease in the number of visitors; however, the visitor flow is rising again. This scenario provides a historical opportunity to carry out strategies towards the visitor’s management as well as to awake consciousness of the damage caused by the excess of visitors in cultural heritage sites. Establishing limits on the number of visitors is a well-recognized strategy to achieve sustainability in a cultural heritage site. An excess of visitors has an impact on two elements: the cultural resource and the quality of the visitor experience. Crowding perception has been demonstrated to be an effective indicator to evaluate the visitor experience and to determine standards of quality in cultural and natural sites. The place of origin of visitors is among the sociodemographic factors that can affect crowding standards. This study used a quantitative questionnaire based on normative theory and a visual method to identify the crowding standards of national and international visitors at the Mayan archaeological site of Tulum located in the vicinity of the Mexican Caribbean resort of Cancun. The results show that general visitor acceptability decreases as the number of people increase. International visitors are less tolerant to crowding than national visitors as they show the most restrictive acceptable level of people at the same time at the archaeological site. Findings are discussed in terms of their management implications for the development of a tourism-carrying capacity framework for cultural sites, thereby contributing to the achievement of more sustainable cultural tourism.

Hacia una gestión sostenible de las actividades turísticas en los espacios rurales y naturales