Title: Voices about the impact of tourism on the Agave Landscape: comparisons between Tequila and Teuchitlan, Mexico

Authors: Yael Dansac; Lucía González

Addresses: Laboratory of Anthropology and History on the Institution of Culture, School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, 105 Boulevard Raspail, 75006, Paris, France ' Department of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Guadalajara, 976 Juarez Avenue, Guadalajara, Jalisco, 44100, México

Abstract: Tourism development can be a desirable or undesirable phenomenon for the host communities. This document presents and compares the positive and negative social perceptions about tourism development in Tequila and Teuchitlan, two Mexican settlements on the Agave Landscape World Heritage Site. Both are respectively associated with the two most visited tourist attractions in the area, the Magic Town of Tequila and Los Guachimontones Archaeological Site. The opinions collected from the inhabitants of these villages point out several benefits perceived by the locals, such as employment diversification, local culture recovery, and the generation of new business. The increase in the crime rate, pollution, and the low redistribution of tourism gains were the common negative comments in both villages. The main purpose of this document is to survey the social perceptions of Tequila's and Teuchitlan's local residents since massive tourism arrived to this region in West Mexico in 2006.

Keywords: tourism impact; tourism development; host communities; social perceptions; Tequila; Teuchitlan; Agave Landscape; World Heritage Cultural Landscape; Mexico; local perceptions; local communities; tourist attractions; employment diversification; local culture; new business; crime rate; pollution; low redistribution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTA.2014.065587

International Journal of Tourism Anthropology, 2014 Vol.3 No.4, pp.325 - 341

Received: 25 Mar 2013
Accepted: 29 Sep 2013

Published online: 07 Nov 2014 *

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