It will favor the diversification of the country's tourist destinations through a joint effort between the three levels of government
The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, announced the new program Barrios Mágicos de México, whose purpose is to expand the range of tourist experiences for visitors who travel through the national territory, promoting the well-being and development of communities with a social dimension.
Accompanied by state secretaries and secretaries of Tourism, as well as presidents of Chambers and Associations of the sector, in a virtual meeting, the head of the Secretary of Tourism (Sectur) highlighted that the successful program Pueblos Mágicos, which emerged in 2001, is currently one of the most important tourism engines in the country, thanks to the cultural, natural, historical, architectural and gastronomic wealth of the 132 destinations with this designation, placing them in the preferences of our tourists, eager for new experiences.
He pointed out that, however, based on its operating rules and national strategy, it does not allow a declaration to be made in capital cities or in the interior of the country, despite the fact that many of them also have spaces full of charm, tradition and mysticism. , among many other characteristics, that give it identity, roots and belonging.
"In this sense, authorities of the state governments, as well as leaders of the tourism sector, expressed their interest in having in their cities designations or appointments similar to that of our beloved 'Magic Towns,'" he commented.
Torruco Marqués indicated that for this reason a new proposal was implemented to promote and invigorate these unique urban areas, fully identified and delimited in polygons, according to information from INEGI.
He specified that this initiative, which is officially launched today, has been called "Magic Neighborhoods of Mexico", to promote the diversification of tourist destinations in our wonderful country, through a joint effort between the three levels of government.
“El Barrio Mágico represents a space in which various elements are combined, which make it unique and unrepeatable: history, culture, gastronomy, products and services, as well as the coexistence of the local population with visitors. It is a place where you can discover the 'spirit' and essence of a city”, he stated.
The Secretary of Tourism stressed that as a first stage of launch, Sectur, in coordination with municipal and state authorities, will select 32 emblematic places, one for each federal entity of the country, in capital cities or in the interior.
He pointed out that the great challenge will be to choose those sites that, as part of a city hall, city or metropolitan area, medium or large, facilitate the integration of products; add service chains; that they are representative of the city; that they have infrastructure and connectivity; and that can be linked with other tourist destinations, through themed routes or circuits, to mention just some of the aspects to consider.
“The Magical Neighborhoods, in tandem with the Magical Towns, will promote, strengthen and motivate road travel, especially towards open spaces, in closer contact with nature and the receiving communities, in accordance with the new post-pandemic tourism trends. ”, said Torruco Marques.
He commented that in this movement of tourists through the national highway network, they will always have the support of the Green Angels, who already have the Geointelligence Center, through which they can locate the corporation's units in real time, and know as much the name of the operator as the estimated time of attention
"The Magic Neighborhoods of Mexico must meet certain characteristics for their appointment, but they will also be entitled to benefits such as facade painting, promotion actions and training courses offered by Sectur," he said.
As part of the promotional actions of this program, the Magical Neighborhoods of Mexico will have a presence on the digital platform Pueblos Mágicos, of Mexico Unknown, he said.
In addition, they will be promoted with strategies such as the Tianguis de Pueblos Mágicos, the International Tianguis de Pueblos Mágicos, and the Tianguis Turístico de México, which will be held for the first time in Mexico City, from March 26 to 29, 2023, and that will break all the records of its previous 46 editions.
He assured that this initiative is aligned with the Tourism Sector Program, among whose primary objectives is to identify, value and preserve the uses, customs, territories, identities and cultures of our populations with a tourist vocation, as well as support conservation and regeneration of its cultural, natural and biocultural heritage.
The head of Sectur stated: "Let's take advantage of our enormous tourism heritage to make Mexico an increasingly competitive destination and reaffirm its position in the world ranking, mainly in foreign exchange earnings by international visitors, which is how Mexico's tourism potential is measured. a nation".
He reiterated that the correct policies of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador during the pandemic: not restricting international flights, implementing biosanitary protocols between the Ministry of Health, Sectur and the private sector, as well as the vaccination strategy, contributed to the speedy recovery of tourism. in Mexico, which is already a reality, since it is estimated to close 2022 with 26 thousand 121 million dollars, exceeding by 6.3% what was registered in 2019.
He pointed out that thanks to the effort and professionalism of the Datatur staff, for the first time in the history of Sectur, there is punctual and reliable information on the various tourist indicators of the 1,414 municipalities related to tourism and the 235 tourist-oriented places of our country; product of a study called "Approximation to state and municipal tourism GDP 2018-2019".
“I am convinced that the Magic Neighborhoods of Mexico will be an important travel motivator, for the benefit of the local population, and will contribute significantly to the work that we have been developing in the current administration: making tourism a tool for social reconciliation,” he concluded. Torruco Marques.
Present at this virtual event were the Undersecretary of Tourism, Humberto Hernández Haddad; the head of the Sectur Information and Monitoring Unit, Alejandro Aguilera Gómez; and Mauricio Reyna Guerrero, head of the Tourism Policy and Innovation Unit.