The construction of a cultural identity and the development of the tourism industry in Mexico"

The construction of a cultural identity and its relation with the tourism industry in Mexico has its origins in 1930s. At the time, Mexico's nation building project has combined two completely different visions: one nationalistic-traditional and the other, modern-urban. This article describes and discusses the influence of these two visions on the development of tourism in Mexico, which combines the promotion of the cultural past represented by the indigenous pre-hispanic cultural heritage, with the financial and political support from the government in creating the conditions for a modern tourist destination. This helps us understand the circumstances by which Mexico embraced a promotion and tourism development blueprint (or model) that has persisted up to the present day, as well as the role that political, economic and social ideology plays in the definition of a tourist destination.