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This chapter focuses on the Pueblos Mágicos (Magic Towns) Program to determine the social and economic benefits of a public tourism intervention with governance characteristics in small towns with cultural and natural resources. The chapter examines the evolution of social development through indicators that measures the lack of this development, and also analyzes information collected from the residents about their perceptions. At first glance, there are elements to affirm with the insights from final beneficiaries, that the governance action really improves their living conditions.

The purpose of this study is to validate an explanatory structural equation model for the evaluation of territorial branding tourism policies for local development and its application in cities in Mexico and Colombia.

A sample was calculated for finite populations of residents in the municipalities of Girón Santander, Colombia and El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico, of 125 individuals for each locality, in total, 250 individuals. The study includes three latent variables, which in turn constitute three models (Model 1: State and Public Policies; Model 2: Territorial Brand for Development; Model 3: Local Development) to explain the multiple relationships with the observable variables. The results were analyzed by using IBM AMOS software (SPSSS Extension), using the maximum likelihood method.

Multiple relationships between the variables were evident, with excellent to acceptable indices. Model 1 (CMIN/DF = 1.742; CFI = 0.948; RMSEA = 0.057; PClose = 0.059) Model 2 (CMIN/DF = 1.528; CFI = 0.921; RMSEA = 0.073; PClose = 0.044). Model 3 (CMIN/DF = 3.210; CFI = 0.951); RMSEA = 0.057; PClose = 0.049), obtaining an adequate fit. The correlations between the variables reveal that the tourism policy is weak in both contexts, in its implementation in terms of the participation of residents in decision-making with respect to the management of the policy and in the lack of education and training of collaborators/workers to provide a better tourism service.

It was possible to establish that the measurement model is applicable in the municipalities of the two countries by considering the similarities in tourism policies, as well as the differences (social, cultural, political and economic), but with a need for explicit articulation between the pillars of the territorial brand with the legitimized public policy.

This study contributes to the generation of new knowledge in relation to territorial branding from residents, within the framework of a tourism policy, allowing to establish its limitations in terms of implementation.

This study aims to reveal the potential for ecotourism of a locality with high marginalisation index in the municipality of Tlalpujahua, a Magic Town in the State of Michoacán, Mexico.

This case study was based on several methodologies. First, socioeconomic, environmental, sustainability, geographic and institutional variables were used in the evaluation of 62 localities of the municipality. Geographic information systems identified study areas and determined their potential for ecotourism. Second, participatory diagnosis was used to collect specific information about the locality regarding their organisational aspects, development strategies, current socioeconomic problems, land use and resources availability and interest in developing projects related to ecotourism. Finally, the authors adapted the FAS Model (factors, attractors and support systems) to include environmental and organisational variables contributing to a theoretical approach to ecotourism. To identify attractors, they applied a questionnaire to determine the profile of tourists visiting Magic Towns and their potential interest in ecotourism.

The authors conclude that ecotourism is a possible alternative to highly marginalised localities within Magic Town municipalities and would be able to expand the benefits engendered by the program. Ecotourism can therefore represent a new option for tourists visiting marginalised communities in Mexico.

A diverse methodology applied key elements to identify localities suitable for ecotourism, characteristics of marginalisation and endowment of natural heritage. The authors conclude that the benefits to localities included in the Magic Towns Program can be expanded to surrounding spaces through strategies such as ecotourism.

This chapter proposes a methodology to determine tourism policies that are effective in addressing the challenges of tourism as an instrument for development. A three-step process is proposed, including the preparation of a Green Paper that defines the different actors in the tourism system, as well as their functions vis-à-vis policy options; a White Paper that determines strategic positioning and a roadmap for action based on the diagnosis and analysis of the destination; and a Tourism Policy Plan that delineates the different governance actions. The model is examined from the perspective of the use of tourism as an instrument for development, with a consideration of the destination’s human, social capital, and participative governance systems.

This paper aims to study the relationship between employment and tourism activities as well as economic variables for the 32 states of Mexico for the period 1999-2014.

To study the case of Mexico, the authors use panel data and cointegration panel data. They also use geographic information systems to observe changes over time between the variables, which is useful in the empirical evidence.

The main results obtained by the models are as following: domestic tourism is the variable with the greatest impact on the generation of direct employment in the tourism sector, a finding supported by both methodologies; economic growth (measured by state gross domestic product) also directly impacts the generation of employment; and the cointegration of the panels causes a long-term equilibrium among the states and some variables.

The model used leaves out other variables that may influence the performance of the tourist activity. In addition, given the availability of official and homogeneous information, it only covers what has been documented up to 2014.

The aim is to measure the impact of tourism on the variables at the state level, where the economic activities could be based on public policies, as well as the importance of tourism activities in generating employment. In this sense, the impact would be in channeling efforts to support the main economic activities and could serve as a starting point for the evaluation of programs to promote domestic tourism.

This paper reviews the relationship that exists between tourism activity and its effect on other variables, especially employment. It is the first time that these topics are studied for the Mexican economy.