Journal of Tourism and Heritage Research

Cultural tourism based on tequila production: the case of Casa Sauza

Beatriz Pérez Sánchez — 2024-03-15

Tequila is the emblematic drink of Mexicanness; in recent decades it has allowed the actions of the tourist and cultural services sector to increase based on its national and international appreciation. The large economic groups or leading industrial corporations dedicated to the production of tequila consider tourism in the diversification of products and offer visits to the agave fields considered the territory covered by the Denomination of origin of the tequila. Objective: to know the origin and economic strategies to position ourselves in the market and achieve product diversification, especially the tourist products of the Casa Sauza economic group. Methods: historical and analytical methods were applied. The research was carried out based on a documentary review with a descriptive scope, and secondary sources of information. Results: in Mexico, the leadership in the production of tequila, combined with the importance given by the State to reproduce the cultural and heritage values that the landscape of the Blue Agave cultivation entails, and the old industrial facilities of Tequila, allow the diversification of tequila products and the inclusion of the cultural and tourist offer of its customs and traditions.

Environmental impact of tourism and its relationship with financial management and accounting

Carmen Hernando Vivar — 2024-03-18

Given the cultural shift occurred in recent years, the environment provides natural resources, and many of the essential attractions for the tourism sector. Therefore, its protection is crucial for long-term viability. Both financial management and accounting are essential tools for measuring and controlling the economic and environmental aspects of tourism activities. Besides, the current assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in optimizing processes and data analysis, not only in accounting but also in environmental and tourism contexts.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), approximately 20% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are attributed to tourism-related activities. This underscores the importance of environmental measurement in accounting for the analysis and evaluation of businesses.

This communication highlights the characteristics and consequences of the relationship between the environment and accounting management in the field of tourism. The measurement and control of resources and costs in tourism businesses identify areas for improvement in terms of sustainability and efficiency, contributing to environmental conservation and enhancing the profitability of companies in this sector.

Therefore, this paper presents an approach to a proposed model where environmental initiatives and their impact on the financial and management accounting of tourism companies are quantified in monetary terms.

New tourist offer in Mexico: the magical neighborhoods

Cecilia García Muñoz Aparicio — 2024-03-18

The magical neighborhoods constitute an extension of the tourism offer created by the Ministry of Tourism in 2022 in Mexico with the purpose of promoting places to attract more tourism, positively impacting society. The objective of this article was to analyze the characteristics of its tourist offer, so that through its identity it can be verified if they express the essence of the city, which is why they were created. A documentary and descriptive methodology was used through the analysis of articles, blogs, books, and all types of secondary sources. As a result, it was obtained that, because the program is starting, more time is required to see its impact on the designated spaces, in addition to the fact that it is expected that there will be 32 places with this designation, one for each federal entity, therefore that the government is analyzing possible offers since not all of them meet the qualities required to become a magical neighborhood.

Analysis of the socioeconomic impact of the nameing of people mágico, “Puerto de Frontera” in the municipality of Centla

María Antonieta Estañol Vidrio — 2024-03-18

Frontera, the municipal seat of Centla in the State of Tabasco, was named by the Federal Tourism Secretariat as a Magical Town in the month of July 2023. Magical towns are government programs that serve to enhance the influx of local and foreign tourists. and that help the community develop. The objective of this study is to analyze and identify the economic and tourist impact that this distinction should have on the community. The methodology used in this work is qualitative in nature with a descriptive and analytical scope, using observation and documentary techniques. The results indicate that the population is changing its traditional way of offering its services and products, a change is observed in the image of the town, a change in its physical infrastructure; old houses, port, market and streets. It is recommended that the municipal and state authorities give good and extensive dissemination of the town, implementing appropriate strategies to publicize the charm and hospitality of the town that will attract and increase the influx of local and foreign tourists, which will represent socioeconomic benefits, generate many jobs and improve the life of the community.

Exploratory study of the image of Ibiza among university students

José Ramón Cardona Ramón Cardona — 2024-03-18

The destination image is a mental representation that people have of a tourist region, being a fundamental element for the tourist destinations management. The Ibiza Island (Spain) is a tourist destination with high international recognition, but its image and positioning has been little studied until now. The aim of this work is to carry out an exploratory study of the tourist image of the Ibiza Island. The analysis was carried out on a sample of 169 university students of the Degree in Tourism at the University of Seville (Faculty of Tourism and Finance), and focused on basic descriptives (frequencies and percentages) that sought to determine the most important elements of the image of Ibiza. It should be noted that only 10.7% of the sample had previously visited the Ibiza Island. The main conclusions were: the main source of information about Ibiza is the general media (61.0%) and family and friends (52.7%); the image of Ibiza is described as nightlife (93.5%) and beaches (86.4%); they define the expected experience as party (27.2%), fun (26.0%) and unforgettable (21.9%); the main attractions are the beaches (76.9%) and nightlife (51.5%); The main activities are attending parties (63.3%), going to the beach (48.5%) and water activities (39.1%); the main impediment to visiting Ibiza is the high prices (62.7%). Finally, 68.6% consider that the image of Ibiza is positive. These results confirm the few previous analyses that exist on the image of Ibiza.

Tourism potential and heritage value in Santa Cruz province, Argentina: The Río Turbio industrial rail line (RFIRT)

Victor Hugo Morales — 2024-03-20

The Río Turbio Industrial Rail Line (RFIRT) is an infrastructure that connects the city of Río Gallegos with the Coal Basin of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, comprising the towns of 28 de Noviembre and Río Turbio. Along its approximately 300 km route, it offers a unique visual experience, with landscapes that change throughout the year due to Santa Cruz's diverse climate.

The emerging tourism development in the Coal Basin presents an opportunity to enhance both the region and the railway, making use of the existing infrastructure along the studied route. Being the southernmost railway line in the Americas, its location arouses interest for visits and transportation, despite currently being mainly used for transporting coal and occasionally passengers.

This project aims to identify the most significant events related to the railway development in the region and its potential as a tourist attraction, through the creation of a timeline and proposing an itinerary that combines historical and natural elements, allowing visitors to enjoy an active industrial rail line in the Argentine Southern Patagonia.

The historical significance of the RFIRT and its impact on the region calls for sustainable tourism development in the towns of the Coal Basin, preserving and keeping alive the memory of the railway, promoting it as a unique tourist attraction in the Patagonian region.

Assessing ecotourism stakeholder power imbalances in COVID-19 resilience strategies in Ghana's Upper East Region.

Akonga Samuel — 2024-03-20

The tourism industry's susceptibility to crises, rooted in its dependence on environmental services, necessitates effective resilience mechanisms for recovery during challenging times. This study explores the impact of power and interest imbalances on resilience strategies in Ghana's tourism sector during COVID-19. Using a mixed-method explanatory sequential approach, 297 respondents from fringe communities engaged in tourism were surveyed via lottery sampling, while 10 key informants were interviewed using purposive sampling. The participants for the quantitative survey included tour guards, basket weavers, site managers, employees of the tourist’s destinations, and hotel managers. Officials of the Ghana tourism authority and sectional leaders of the various tourism businesses in the destinations satisfied the qualitative survey. The results indicate minimal imbalances among stakeholders, enhancing recovery efforts. However, stakeholders operating in natural attractions who were excluded from government aid resort to harmful practices like charcoal production and poaching, threatening environmental sustainability. To foster fairness and eco-friendliness, the study advocates for inclusive decision-making and cooperation within Ghana's tourism industry.

Tourism on the ecopistas as a factor in the preservation of railway cultural heritage

Eunice Duarte — 2024-03-22

Particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, multiple railway lines in Portugal were decommissioned. This situation resulted in the abandonment of most of the railway heritage found in stations and stops. To revive and breathe new life into these old railway lines, Infraestruturas de Portugal, in collaboration with local municipalities and the Revive fund, has been developing rail trails (Ecopistas) and advocating for the restoration of stations and stops, thereby fostering the cultural and social sustainability of these areas.

To assess the extent to which Ecopistas (rail trails) have contributed to the sustainability and preservation of railway heritage, an analysis of the restored stations and their current functionalities was conducted.

The creation of Ecopistas has inspired various organizations to renovate the stations and stops and safeguard the existing railway heritage, particularly the conservation of tile artifacts and the original architectural features.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to examine the local communities' perception of the impact of the restoration of these stations and stops.

Tourism as a factor in the geographic location trend of intentional communities

Johann Llamas-Vázquez — 2024-03-22

Today, science supports that living in an intentional community is an alternative congruent with sustainability. An example of this is the ecovillage. This text presents the basic concepts of this type of habitat derived from a systematic review of the literature. It highlights the importance of geographic location to promote ecological balance, social well-being, and resilience within their local context. Alluding to the needs for this model of communities to thrive, a search is carried out where the location of these communities is identified through the repositioning of existing projects in Mexico. Part of the results detect a location trend that shows a preference for building ecovillages near tourist areas. Based on the results, it is discussed how social interaction and cultural relationships external to these intentional communities facilitate their creation and development. Future work is proposed to analyze the socio-economic dependence of ecovillages on communities where particular tourism activities such as those demanded by ecovillage tourism are carried out (GEN, 2019).

Sustainable cultural experiences: creative tourism practices in the Mexican Creative Cities by UNESCO

Ana Eugenia Vázquez-Alemán — 2024-03-27

The systematization of creative tourism practices implemented in the context of Mexico's Creative Cities program is the central objective of this paper. These nine cities, recognized by UNESCO for their cultural vitality, offer a unique intersection of creativity, cultural heritage and tourism, positioning them as a catalytic network for sustainable development in the contemporary tourism landscape. Thus, the concept of creative tourism is unveiled to facilitate meaningful interactions between travelers and local culture; the backdrop of the Mexican Creative Cities is established, analyzing the use of their designation by UNESCO with the promotion of creative industries and the preservation of intangible cultural assets through tourism. It delves into the creative tourism offer, showing how visitors actively engage with the creative essence of the cities and examines the narratives constructed by and for tourists, considering the potential for exoticization or commodification of local cultures by foreigners. The overall picture of the influence of creative tourism practices on the transformation of urban cultural identities is discussed, as well as a nuanced understanding of their impact on both tourists and host communities. Finally, the contribution of creative tourism to the preservation or transformation of cultural heritage in the cities analyzed is concluded.

Amiable cities. A neccessity? in the XXI century

Inmaculada Mengual Bernal — 2024-03-28

The starting premise isthe importance of urban destinations and, for the management of these trips, the overabundance of technology as a parameter of life in the city. The following question is formulated: Are tourist cities really habitable? The pillar is to understand that, in this urban context, another need arises and is already anticipated - along with the technological solution - that of promoting the condition of "friendly" cities where higher quality tourism is possible. And it is from this need where this research arises. There are numerous and countless forums and conferences in which the emphasis is placed on another quality: the so-called “Smart-Cities”. This is in the belief of how efficient the technology will be for the most optimal functioning of a tourist destination: its transportation network, lighting, traffic control, automatic system for watering gardens, etc. And as a result of all this digital intelligence we have a city full of sensors and cameras. But, along with this technical evolution, it is also necessary to rethink the city/destination under the need to make it as livable as possible. The post-Covid era places these new demands on us. All this from the reflection of whether technology may be dehumanizing urban tourism. The demands and needs that friendly cities demand will be explained. This innovative vision is very useful since it will be possible to see how this “friendly city” classification provides added value to both local economies and urban tourism.

Roman in Question: Navigating between the two Shores of a Mediterranean Heritage

Habib Saidi — 2024-03-29

This article delves into Tunisia's complex interplay between its Roman heritage and Mediterranean identity, examining how these elements influence contemporary cultural and geopolitical narratives. The study aims to uncover the nuances of 'heritage intimacy,' exploring how Tunisia navigates its historical ties with the Roman Empire while engaging with its broader Mediterranean connections. Employing a qualitative analysis of tourist maps, promotional materials, and historical texts, the research traces the evolution of Tunisia's heritage portrayal from the post-independence era through the post-revolutionary period. Key findings reveal a strategic emphasis on Roman elements during the Bourguiba and Ben Ali regimes to foster tourism and Western relations, juxtaposed with a recent shift towards highlighting Punic and African identities in response to changing socio-political dynamics. The article concludes that Tunisia's heritage narrative is marked by a persistent ambivalence, reflecting ongoing tensions between embracing a Roman past and asserting a distinct Mediterranean identity amidst evolving internal and external pressures.

Glamping: a trend in the centre of Portugal

Ana Carolina Carvalho — 2024-04-08

The act of travelling has become very accessible to all social groups, which has refined the reasons why there are more people traveling, and, in this way, the big challenge is to have the possibility to create tourist activities that are compatible with the principles and objectives of sustainable development, in terms of environmental sustainability, local development and quality of life.

Glamping has emerged as a new typology of glamorous camping, offering physical and aesthetic comfort, which is more luxurious than the traditional camping. This type of camping is associated with Nature Tourism, Ecotourism and a more sustainable tourism. The demand is focused on authenticity, personalised service and direct interaction with nature. Concern for the preservation of nature and environmentally responsible forms of tourism are other characteristics that customers are looking in glamping.

The main aim of this research was to analyse the conceptualization of glamping, its legislation, its growth in Portugal, with a focus on the Centro region, and to identify existing shortcomings and rethink how to overcome them, thus contributing to a greater understanding of this type of tourist experience.

Towards sustainable cultural tourism: analysis of cultural policy in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Pavel López Cadena — 2024-04-08

Based on the debate on the enhancement of material and intangible cultural heritage in tourist activity through the management of cultural tourism, a cultural diagnosis is necessary that identifies the particularities of the place, updated to the social dynamics of a city like Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, which according to the SECTURJAL (Tourism Secretary of Jalisco) receives around 6 million tourists a year, which positions it as one of the main tourist destinations in México (SECTURJAL, 2023). An analysis of the cultural policy of the municipality is proposed, an assessment that allows the development of projects within its own social, political, economic, and historical context, and following its cultural values, this towards the construction of a sustainable cultural tourism offer that generates benefits that are distributed homogeneously throughout the population. To facilitate the analysis of such a complex concept, we synthesize its areas of action in three variables of what Teixeira Coelho (2009) defines as the Cultural Production System: 1.-Cultural Production, 2.-Distribution, and 3.-Cultural Consumption. The research design is transversal since it is developed within a time frame of 5 years, non-experimental and descriptive, with a mixed approach.