Good evening

You may have noticed that we don’t often feature longhaul destinations that involve flying. That dates back to the Guardian’s climate pledge of 2019, addressing the “most urgent issue of our times”. Scientists have said we must make “rapid, unprecedented change” to our lifestyles to avoid climate catastrophe, and pinpointed flying as the most destructive form of travel.

But we still occasionally run stories on long-haul destinations when there is an important initiative or project that benefits the environment or local community.

That’s why this week’s featured story is about the self-ruling Pueblos Mancomunados (united villages) in the Sierra Norte mountains of Mexico’s Oaxaca state. Writer James Gingell’s entry into this world is via guiding outfit Zapotrek, one of a handful of trusted operators based in Oaxaca City that have developed partnerships with the Indigenous Zapotec people. Booking through them secures permission to access the community, represented by a local chaperone for the duration of the trip.

“The mountain people abide by an iron rule: adults must commit one year in every three to community work. For some, that means policing. For others, it means forestry. And since the mid-1990s, it has also meant participating in their tourism project - acting as a chaperone to visitors.”

As James says, “The project seems a good deal. A gentle flow of visitors get sylvan splendour, while the hosts receive reliable revenue. That money is divided equally and has bought bigger, better cabins with hot water. But more importantly, it has allowed more people to stay in the communities they were born into.”

The Zapotecs, he observes, lead “green” lives: they tend to the forest; the forest tends them back.

It’s an example of a tourism model that achieves a rare balance in preserving an ancient way of life while inviting in the outside world on their own terms.