Riviera Maya Sostenible

What Riviera Maya Sostenible does

Riviera Maya Sostenible is a nonprofit linking organization (ONG) based in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, founded in 2009 by Beatriz Barreal Danel to promote sustainable tourism across the Mexican Caribbean. It functions primarily as a convener that connects tourism businesses, government bodies, academic institutions, and civil society to coordinate sustainability outcomes, with an explicit mission aligned to the UN 17 SDGs and a particular emphasis on SDG 17 (Partnerships).

The organization delivers an interconnected portfolio of programs built around externally validated sustainability standards. Its core technology stack relies on partnerships with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Green Destinations, and EarthCheck science-based frameworks, through which it offers destination and business certification (Certificación de Destinos y Empresas, Sello RMS), specialized sustainability consulting (RMS Consultores), and access to the Good Travel Guide marketplace. Auxiliary programs include the K'iwik artisan empowerment initiative (supporting 530+ Maya families via fair-trade value chains), Adopta Una Comunidad (a long-term intervention in Chunpom), Renaturalización de Espacios Públicos, and the Green Destinations TOP100 Stories platform participation.

Revenue mechanics derive from three streams: certification and licensing royalties (Sello RMS distributed via Good Travel Guide and Green Destinations platforms), fee-based specialized consulting, and program-level grants or contracted community work. The pricing model is contact-based with customized multi-year proposals; no public rates are disclosed. Customer segments are predominantly enterprise — luxury and all-inclusive hospitality operators (Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Grand Palladium, Ciudad Mayakoba), tour operators (Ruta PiCaSo, the first Biosphere-Responsible-Tourism-certified operator in Mexico), higher education institutions (Universidad Riviera, Universidad Tecnológica de León), and indigenous Maya community groups. Geographically, operations concentrate in Riviera Maya, with growing reach into Bacalar, Cozumel, and Costa Mujeres across the Mexican Caribbean.

Name

Riviera Maya Sostenible

Legal name

Riviera Maya Sostenible

Website

https://rivieramayasostenible.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nonprofit linking organization based in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, that connects tourism businesses, government, academia, and Maya communities to deliver GSTC-aligned destination and business certification, consulting, and community empowerment programs across the Mexican Caribbean.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Tourism Consulting and Certification

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification) (THAAANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eco-Resorts (Full-Service Sustainable Resorts in Natural Settings) (THAAAHAB), Rainforest & Jungle Lodges (THAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Sustainable tourism consulting
• Destination certification
• Green travel program
• Community empowerment
• Environmental sustainability services

Headquarters

HQ city

Playa Del Carmen

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification Services: Certification of destinations and businesses through partnerships with Green Destinations and other GSTC-accredited organisms, providing evaluation, support, and sustainability certification for tourism sector enterprises
2. Specialized Consulting: Customized consulting services for sustainability implementation in tourism destinations and businesses
3. SELLORMS Certification Program: The Good Travel Program (GTP) by Green Destinations, personalized in Mexico as 'Sello RMS', offers tools to evaluate, support, and certify tourism business sustainability. Participating businesses are promoted on Good Travel Guide and Riviera Maya Sostenible platforms

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Riviera Maya Sostenible is a non-governmental linking organization that provides sustainability consulting, destination and business certification through Green Destinations/GSTC frameworks (Sello RMS / Good Travel Program), and community empowerment programs (K'iwik artisan program, Adopta Una Comunidad) for tourism enterprises, destinations and Maya communities in the Mexican Caribbean. It also offers specialized sustainability conferences and consulting services for tourism businesses seeking eco-efficiency, environmental leadership, and PROFEPA-SEMARNAT compliance.

Product overview

Riviera Maya Sostenible (RMS) is a linking organization for sustainable development, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on tourism as a motor for sustainable development. The core offerings include destination and business certification services through Green Destinations and GSTC partnerships (Certificación de Destinos y Empresas, Sello RMS), community empowerment programs (K'iwik artisan marketplace with 530+ families, Adopta Una Comunidad for Mayan communities), specialized consulting services, and sustainability conferences. Programs operate across the humanist, technical, and scientific axes aligned with the 17 UN SDGs, particularly SDG 17 on Partnerships, serving the Mexican Caribbean region including Playa del Carmen, Bacalar, Cozumel, and Costa Mujeres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K'IWIK: Encounter of traditional knowledge and values of Maya communities, linking ancestral knowledge with current demands and creating fair trade value chains, empowering local artisans and producers.
• Sello RMS
• #AdoptaUnaComunidad
• RMS Consultores

Products and services

• Certificación de Destinos y Empresas (Destination and Business Certification) Destination and business certification services delivered in partnership with Green Destinations (a GSTC-accredited certification body), covering processes for Playa del Carmen, Bacalar, Cozumel and Costa Mujeres destinations and the tourism enterprises operating within them.
• K'iwik Artisan Empowerment Program Program linking Maya artisan communities with tourism markets through fair trade and responsible commerce, providing transportation, food, training and point-of-sale infrastructure at high-impact tourist locations for more than 530 participating families.
• Adopta Una Comunidad Long-term community intervention program supporting the Chunpom Maya community in the 'chunes' zone, focused on indigenous empowerment through strengthening traditional knowledge and natural capital since 2018.
• Conferencias Especializadas (Specialized Sustainability Conferences) Specialized RMS Consultants conferences focused on sustainability as a form of love, recognizing identity and unique value, with certification, positioning and promotion tools delivered by Riviera Maya Sostenible.
• Consultoría Especializada (Specialized Sustainability Consulting) Customized sustainability consulting services for tourism businesses, including eco-efficiency training, environmental leadership, and integration with federal PROFEPA-SEMARNAT programs under the RMS Consultores brand.
• Sello RMS / Certificación SELLORMS (Good Travel Program Mexico) Mexico-localized version of the Good Travel Program created by Green Destinations, offering science-based tools to evaluate, support and certify sustainability of tourism businesses, with promotion on the Good Travel Guide platform.
• Green Destinations Top 100 Stories Program Program documenting and promoting local sustainable initiatives that meet Green Destinations standards, with Mexican Caribbean destinations including Playa del Carmen, Bacalar, Cozumel and Costa Mujeres participating in the TOP100 Stories recognition.
• Renaturalización de Espacios Públicos Urban space renaturalization program managing public green spaces and ecosystems through public-private sector linking for the conservation and restoration of emblematic public spaces in the Riviera Maya.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple destinations achieved TOP100 Green Destinations Stories recognition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Green DestinationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019RMS holds the representation for Green Destinations in Mexico since 2019. Green Destinations is a GSTC-accredited certification organism providing access to the TOP100 Stories platform and market promotion for certified destinations and businesses.
• Regenera ONG (Chile)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017MOU/partnership signed between GSTC Sustainable Riviera Maya (Mexico) and Regenera ONG (Chile) during the 2017 GSTC Conference in Patagonia, Chile, to foster sustainable tourism collaboration between the two destinations.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Riviera Maya Sostenible has been a Board Member of GSTC since 2014, representing the organization in Mexico and driving the adoption of global sustainable tourism criteria. The partnership positions RMS as a key advocate for sustainable tourism standards internationally.
• HotelbedsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic alliance partner providing hospitality services and market distribution for tourism businesses in the Riviera Maya region.
• Oceanus A.C.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOceanus A.C. provides leadership and training for Banyan Tree Mayakoba's marine protection and coral restoration programs, including sea turtle protection initiatives.
• Banyan Tree Global FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports the Seedlings educational program for children from nearby communities and environmental conservation initiatives at Banyan Tree Mayakoba.
• INEGIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Institute of Statistics and Geography provides methodology for community needs diagnostics in the Adopta una Comunidad program.
• Universidad Tecnológica de LeónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership led to Ruta PiCaSo becoming the first tour operator in Mexico certified under Biosphere Responsible Tourism (GSTC-approved), aligned with UN SDGs.
• Universidad del Claustro de Sor JuanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Chinampero project that links traditional chinampa cultivation with consumers, preserving ancestral Mexican agricultural methods since 2014.
• CPTQ (Consejo de Promoción Turística de Quintana Roo)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism promotion council for Quintana Roo state, supporting sustainable tourism development in the Mexican Caribbean.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• B Lab (B Corporation): Global certification for businesses meeting social and environmental performance standards. While not tourism-specific, it competes for the same sustainability-recognition budget at tourism enterprises and offers a broader, more recognized certification badge.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): The global standards-setting body for sustainable tourism. RMS sits on its board, but GSTC is the umbrella organization whose criteria govern the entire ecosystem in which RMS operates.
• Rainforest Alliance: Large international sustainability certification body with tourism-sector programs. Operates a broader portfolio (forestry, agriculture, tourism) and competes for the same enterprise ESG/sustainability budget that RMS targets.

Direct peers

• Green Destinations: A GSTC-accredited certification body that operates the TOP100 Stories platform and Good Travel Program. RMS is the exclusive Mexico representative, making it both the closest partner and the most direct comparable certification operator for sustainable destinations and tourism businesses.
• Travelife: International sustainability certification system for hotels, tour operators, and destinations, GSTC-accredited. Competes with Sello RMS for the same enterprise certification wallet in Latin America and globally.
• Instituto de Turismo Responsable (Biosphere): Spain-based certification body operating the Biosphere Responsible Tourism label aligned with GSTC criteria. Ruta PiCaSo was the first Biosphere-certified operator in Mexico via RMS's partnership, positioning Biosphere as a direct competing certification scheme in the same geography.
• EarthCheck: Science-based certification and benchmarking for the travel and tourism industry. RMS has already achieved EarthCheck Bronze for Playa del Carmen, and EarthCheck is the most direct competing certification framework targeting the same destinations and enterprises.

Regional players

• Fair Trade Tourism (South Africa): Regional sustainable tourism certification body that combines enterprise certification with community empowerment, mirroring RMS's K'iwik and certification model. Operates in a different geography but uses an analogous structure of linking communities, enterprises, and destination certification.

Others

• Consejo de Promoción Turística de Quintana Roo (CPTQ): Regional tourism promotion body for Quintana Roo, an explicit RMS strategic partner. As the regional DMO, it is an adjacent institution addressing overlapping destination-marketing and sustainability objectives.
• Oceanus A.C. Mexican marine conservation NGO that delivers the turtle and coral protection programs at Banyan Tree Mayakoba on behalf of RMS. Functions as an implementation partner in RMS's marine conservation service line.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/playa_circula
• Xx.com/photo
• Facebookfacebook.com/rivieramayasostenible
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-riviera-maya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Riviera Maya Sostenible