The Application of the Tourist Carrying Capacity Technique and its Critical Analysis for Tourism Planning

The carrying capacity technique has been proposed as a way to estimate the number of visitors that a destination can have with minimum impacts on ecosystems while enhancing visitors' experience. It will be argued in this manuscript that this technique faces various challenges and even though it has received criticisms, it is argued that it can be used as a starting point to monitor visitors' arrivals and identify and prevent impacts. The technique is applied in the Apatlaco Ecotourism Park, located in the area of influence of the Iztaccihualtl-Popocatepetl National Park in Mexico. Based on the results of the study, the document discusses the implications of the use of this methodology for visitor control in the area and the further implications of the tourist carrying capacity concept. It shows that beyond a "magic number" the methodology derives useful data for decision-making in tourism planning.