Tourism Development in Guanajuato, Mexico: A deeper understanding of the actors, views and issues at stake

Abstract

With the implementation of the State Program for Tourism 2013-2018 the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, is hoping to develop tourism. In trying to reach this objective, culture, promoted as the main product of the state, is used as a tool. In this program the city of Guanajuato, the cultural heart of the state, plays the leading role, since the main cultural attraction in the state is the annual Cervantino festival, hosted by the capital city. As the Guanajuato becomes evermore dependent on the tourism sector and tourism activities are intertwined in the daily lives of local residents, people are undoubtedly affected by tourism. The way they are affected will possibly influence the way they think of tourism development and the State Program for Tourism as a means to achieve this. Furthermore, as involvement of the local population is considered fundamental for the success of sustainable tourism development, it is also important to gain insight in the way the local population is included in the State Program for Tourism 2013-2018. Therefore, the objective of this research is to identify and gain a deeper understanding of the views and attitudes of residents in the city of Guanajuato, Mexico, towards tourism development, and investigate how these views and attitudes are translated in community support and integrated in the State Program for Tourism 2013-2018. To answer the research question ‘What are residents’ attitudes and views towards tourism development, and how are these attitudes and views integrated in tourism planning and policies?’, qualitative methods have been used. The context in which the research takes place is Guanajuato, the cultural capital of the state of Guanajuato. Tourism impacts the lives of peoples in various ways. The interviewees are divided into four groups: government officials; inhabitants who benefit directly from the tourism industry (people who receive income from working or investing in the tourism sector), like entrepreneurs and service providers; inhabitants who do not benefit directly from the tourism industry, like students, lawyers, housewives, etc.; and those inhabitants that could be considered part of the tourist population, like (inter)national retirees, exchange students, etc. All groups have an overall positive attitude towards tourism and tourism development. However, whereas government officials and hotel managers see the State Program for Tourism as very promising, most other interviewees think the program is too ambitious and will not reach its objectives. Furthermore, they wish to become more involved: the majority of the respondents is annoyed for not being involved in the decision making process of the State Program for Tourism. In general they wish to have the opportunity to participate in such processes so that they can give their opinions and views. Feeling involved and heard has proved to be essential for government support and the success of development plans. More importantly, however, participation in the decision-making processes of the government is a fundamental human right; people should be enabled to participate in the crucial decisions that affect their life. The respondents consider the economic gain from tourism as beneficial to the city, although very limited, because they think that it is not equally distributed among the population. Many interviewed people take on an extra job in the informal sector to increase their income. A volatile tourism flow, loss of cultural identity and property price inflation are amongst the perceived costs of tourism. However, according to most respondents, the (in)direct benefits, like cultural exchange, better quality of service provision and more security outweigh the costs of tourism. It is clear that tourism flows to Guanajuato have an impact on the city. It is the local context however, that determines to a large extent what these impacts are. Residents’ attitudes and views towards tourism should at all times be taken into consideration when planning with regards to tourism development, because the involvement and participation of the local population in the decision making process on issues that affect their own lives is a fundamental human right. In addition, the inclusion of all stakeholders in the decision making process of tourism development is in the benefit of a locality itself, since trust, social cohesion and solidarity is built, and new issues and voices are brought into the public arena.