Abstract

SAIZ-ALVAREZ, José Manuel. Sustainable tourism and social entrepreneurship. The magic town of Tequila, Mexico. Retos [online]. 2018, vol.8, n.15, pp.51-67. ISSN 1390-8618.  https://doi.org/10.17163/ret.n15.2018.04.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site and the “Magic Towns” program in Mexico, both granted to Tequila, aim to guarantee the tourist sustainability of the territory to fight poverty, preserve the rich and unique existing cultural and historical heritage, and promote the inclusion of the indigenous population. However, 57,1% of the population lives in poverty in Tequila (IIEG Jalisco, 2017). The objective of this paper is to analyze whether the appointment of Tequila as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and as “Magic Town” has contributed to reducing poverty. A qualitative-quantitative methodology based on the technique of observation and content analysis is used to answer this question, close with a SWOT analysis to have a holistic review of the topic. The main conclusions are: 1. There are high levels of poverty in Tequila, although they are lower than in non-Agave locations; 2. Excessive tequila protection prevents the development of other distilled beverages within the region; 3. The production and marketing of tequila contributes to the sustainability of gastronomic tourism and nature in the tequila region; and 4. Tequila is a crucial piece in the Tourism Policy of Mexico by 2040, which guarantees its continuity and prevents the strengthening of tequila substitute beverages.

Keywords : Tourist industry; ecotourism; sustainable development; entrepreneurship; regional development; poverty alleviation.

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