Review on the development of a sustainability indicator system in Agenda 21 for Tourism in Mexico

Tourism in Mexico has been boosted as one of the most important economic activities, and is now trying to diversify its market by offering different types of destinations. In the context of sustainability, concern arises for authorities and society in general about the search for balance of the tourist destinations in the country. As a result of the effort and the sum of the will of three levels of government (Federal, State and Municipal), Local Agenda 21 for Tourism in Mexico was born. This instrument presents a Sustainability Indicator System to evaluate tourist destinations in Mexico. Through the evaluation of four major themes: Environment, Socioeconomic Environment, Tourism and Urban Development, the current situation of tourism in Mexico is diagnosed. This paper analyzes the results of the application of the Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs), promoted by the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) in eighty-four destinations during the period of 2002-2007, from the length and breadth of the country. The best-positioned tourist destinations are categorized as Medium Cities. Paradoxically, coastal tourist destinations are in the middle. The worst condition is found in the tourist destinations of nature. The results show better performance indicators for urban development, while the higher pressure is in the environmental areas.