Víctor Josaphat Carrasco Romero (Mexico)
Pilar Guadalupe Larios Velázquez
María de los Dolores Zamora Fernández
I. Summary
Mexico is promoting community-based tourism as a sustainable model that strengthens cultural identities, protects natural resources, and fosters local development. Through cooperatives and community-led projects, authentic experiences are generated with direct benefits for local populations. Initiatives such as the National Guide and the Community-Based Tourism Certification reinforce this strategy. The approach seeks to harmonize visitors, communities, and the environment, promoting tourism that prioritizes shared well-being, sustainability, and active social participation in decision-making processes.
II. Development
Mexican tourism is one of the country’s main economic and cultural pillars, supported by a wide diversity of natural, historical, and cultural attractions that position Mexico among the world’s most important tourist destinations. In this context, the Mexican government, through the Ministry of Tourism, has turned its attention to an alternative tourism management approach known as Community-Based Tourism.
This type of tourism promotes the direct participation of communities in the management, operation, and benefits of tourism activities, strengthening cultural identity and regional development. It is also characterized by providing local populations with the opportunity to manage, control, and make decisions regarding tourism-related activities within their territory.
Mexico possesses vast cultural and natural wealth that must be protected so future generations can continue to enjoy it. From the Yucatán Peninsula to the Baja Californias, the country is home to natural treasures and cultural expressions that reflect its richness and diversity. However, a series of activities and events have placed these attractions at risk, as certain development actions have generated negative environmental impacts. In many cases, economic returns have been prioritized over the protection and conservation of natural and cultural assets.
Additionally, it is important to highlight that the communities located in these areas are also immersed in this dynamic. This has encouraged residents to engage in tourism activities through locally driven projects that offer visitors distinctive experiences, ensuring that most of the benefits generated by tourism remain within the territory rather than flowing to external agents.
In Mexico, various community-based tourism experiences have emerged as concrete expressions of this model. Examples include:
- Oaxaca: Given the cultural richness of its Indigenous peoples, numerous community-led projects have been developed that offer activities focused on nature contact and connection. From community-run hotels to local homestays, residents have organized themselves to host tourists, creating differentiated experiences through immersion in the local environment.
- Puebla: As a multicultural state, Puebla has offered alternatives beyond traditional tourism. In the northeastern region, Náhuatl communities have formed social enterprises, mainly cooperatives, offering tourism products that showcase their culture and natural attractions while simultaneously defending their territory against so-called “death projects,” such as mining operations that threaten environmental degradation and resource depletion.
- Quintana Roo: Through ejidal cooperatives, Mayan communities have organized to preserve their cultural identity while offering tourism experiences in the Mexican Caribbean.
- Nayarit: The Wixárika people provide tourism products rooted in a strong connection with nature, emphasizing environmental protection and conservation. Communities also offer traditional handicrafts characteristic of the region.
These examples represent only a portion of the initiatives developed directly by local communities. In mid-2025, during Mexico’s most important tourism event, Tianguis Turístico 2025, the Mexican government presented a strengthening initiative aimed at increasing the visibility of community-based tourism developed across the country, not only at the national level but also in international markets.
This initiative is part of the new National Community-Based Tourism Policy, which establishes concrete actions to benefit local communities. Within this framework, the National Guide to Community-Based Tourism Experiences was created in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its objective is to promote community-based tourism through more than 100 experiences organized by cooperatives and/or community groups. Inclusion in the guide also seeks to recognize the long-standing trajectory of these projects and the people involved in them.
Another initiative introduced is the Community-Based Tourism Certification, which is awarded to organized collectives offering community tourism services or products. These initiatives are characterized by preserving local identity, representing their territories in unique ways, safeguarding natural and biocultural heritage, and promoting sustainable land use with fair redistribution of the benefits generated by tourism activities.
It is evident that the initiatives promoted by the Mexican government in the field of community-based tourism are part of a broader social policy aimed at greater territorial coherence. In this sense, they align closely with Mexico’s commitments to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.
It is important to recognize that community-based tourism in Mexico has existed for decades and will continue to do so as long as communities choose to sustain it. Its inclusion in government plans, university programs, and community-led actions significantly strengthens its preservation and visibility at both national and international levels. Therefore, authorities across different sectors are encouraged to continue considering community-based tourism as a viable alternative for tourism development in the territories where it is implemented.
Today more than ever, tourism in Mexico must be rethought from a more human and sustainable perspective. New tourism management alternatives invite a transition toward a model that prioritizes harmony between visitors, communities, and the environment. Adopting these new approaches does not mean abandoning growth, but rather redefining it. It implies moving from a tourism model that consumes resources to one that generates shared well-being, fosters cultural preservation, and promotes environmental awareness. Mexico has all the necessary conditions to achieve this; the real challenge lies in recognizing that the tourism of the future should not be measured by the number of visitors, but by the positive impact it leaves on people and places.
Finally, this paper invites reflection on tourism management strategies and public policies—such as community-based tourism—proposed by governments. These strategies should be critically assessed, particularly regarding the extent to which communities are genuinely included in decision-making processes, in order to ensure the continuity of expected outcomes and prevent these initiatives from becoming temporary or eventually marginalized.
