Introduction to Community Tourism Distinctive Guidelines
The Mexican Secretariat of Tourism has recently published the guidelines for obtaining the new Community Touristic Service Providers Distinctive, which will be valid for four years. Among the requirements, applicants must present a document issued by a governmental, agrarian, traditional, or community authority that recognizes their membership in the represented community.
Eligible Touristic Service Sectors
Various sectors of service providers can apply for this distinctive, including:
- Community travel (birdwatching, beach camping, or turtle protection and release);
- Community lodging (cabins, glamping, or campsites);
- Community-based theme parks (firefly or monarch butterfly observation, bat caves or apitherapy);
- Traditional and wellness medicine (rituals, herbal or flower baths, and temazcals).
Tourism Secretary’s Perspective
Josefina Rodríguez, the Tourism Secretary, emphasized that community tourism allows sharing Mexico’s grandeur with the millions of international tourists visiting the country annually. She also mentioned that a guide for community touristic experiences is currently being developed.
Key Guidelines and Requirements
The new guidelines apply to individuals, family businesses, cooperatives, collectives, or communities offering touristic services or products characterized by local identity and authenticity, preservation of natural and biocultural heritage, sustainable territory use, and fairer distribution of tourism benefits within communities.
The document defines community tourism as follows:
Tourism managed by communities with a leading role in generating and managing the destination’s tourism offer, integrating their cultural identity, gastronomy, customs, historical, natural, and biocultural heritage, productive activities, and ways of life. This strengthens indigenous, afro-Mexican, rural, forest, fishing, artisanal, ejido, and communal community tourism.
Application Process
Interested parties must submit a self-assessment questionnaire to the relevant authority, which will have 45 business days to evaluate and grant the distinctive. If documentation is incomplete, the secretariat will provide guidance.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the purpose of these new guidelines? These guidelines aim to promote community tourism, ensuring that services and products are rooted in local identity, preserve natural and biocultural heritage, and distribute tourism benefits fairly within communities.
- Which sectors can apply for the Community Touristic Service Providers Distinctive? Eligible sectors include community-based travel, lodging, theme parks, and wellness practices like traditional medicine.
- What is the duration of this distinctive? The distinctive is valid for four years.
- What happens if the application is incomplete? The Tourism Secretariat will provide guidance to help applicants complete their documentation.
