Community Worldviews and Heritage Conservation in the Development of Tourist Destinations

Abstract

Mexico is widely recognized by the international tourism due to its natural and cultural attractions with coastal, ecotourism and community tourism destinations. There are several community tourism destinations in the southeast region of the country and mainly in Oaxaca State, which main attraction is its cultural heritage. In the northern highlands region of Oaxaca, where most of the indigenous groups are located, it is common to find a pre-Hispanic worldview based on the relationship with the earth and in this region is where the largest number of community tourism destinations is located. The community tourism lies in the appreciation of the natural environment in coexistence with the culture of the local inhabitants. However, the Mexican tourism policy has oriented the growth of tourism in indigenous communities with a homogeneous model based on the construction of cabins with modern elements and without considering the community worldview. In this research, the elements of the community worldview that relate to the conservation of cultural and natural heritage in the development of tourist destinations were analyzed qualitatively with the use of in-depth interviews with key informants. The results provide indicators of community worldview that explain the preservation of culture and can contribute to establish the bases for the development of sustainable tourism destinations in indigenous communities.