Fonte: Revista de Turismo e Identidad; Vol. 3 Núm. 2 (2022): Diciembre 2022 / Mayo 2023; 84-116
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Resumo: The aim of this paper is to understand the relationship between archaeological heritage and the development of tourism in Mexico and its institutionalization. It is based on the premise that this heritage was one of the first that became a tourist resource to be commercialized, so it boosted government measures to promote tourism before it was massified in México. Through Teotihuacán case study, the sociocultural processes necessary to transform an archaeological asset into a tourist attraction which occurred from the 16th century to the beginning of the 20thare identified and analyzed. The life cycle model of a tourist destination is used to periodize it and 19th century travel literature, journalistic notes, and work reports of the institutions in charge of heritage management constitute the sources of information.
The study shows that using the archaeological heritage as a representation of the national identity had an impact on the movement of travelers and tourists. However, the development of tourism and the construction of the tourist image of the country as a destination full of archaeological sites is closely related to the preferences of American tourists and the economic interests of the country in Mexico.
