Cultural heritage against the touristification of Magical Towns in Northwest Mexico

Abstract

The so-called Magic Towns by the Ministry of Tourism in Mexico, are places where tourism is a relevant economic activity. The cities have a rich cultural heritage used for the purpose of developing tourism. However, it is necessary to know how tourism is felt and valued by the community. The identity and the sense of place of a community are constructed from the material and symbolic elements present in the local social imaginary, not necessarily coinciding with the purposes of the public policy of promoting cultural tourism. The localities located in the Northwest of Mexico (Alamos, Magdalena de Kino and El Fuerte), keep resistance and maintain fears in front of the turistification of their cultural heritage. It is convenient to investigate which are the elements that make up the cultural heritage, how they relate to tourism and whether tourism is a sustainable activity for localities.