More than 20 local initiatives in Mexico City are already operating with a new model of responsible tourism

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Environmental education activities, heritage safeguarding, sustainable agricultural production and even improvements in roads and accessibility are strengthened by their inhabitants through the projects.

Mexico City, April 3, 2023 - Communities and groups in Mexico City generated 24 new creative, cultural and community tourism projects through a pilot model that seeks to counter negative tourism impacts, by promoting knowledge and protection of heritage and cultural diversity, and a direct economic redistribution towards local people outside of traditional tourist circuits. For example, in the municipalities of Iztacalco, Iztapalapa, Tlalpan, or lesser-known areas of Xochimilco and Cuauhtémoc.

The proposals generated by the communities themselves were strengthened with a pilot model of sustainable tourism that recovered the strengths of Airbnb together with the UNESCO Mexico guide, which built six selection and management criteria for the initiatives, such as sustainable social impact and local economic flow, and encourage visitors to be responsible and respectful of heritage, culture and territory. More than 1,000 national and foreign people have participated in the tours and activities at this time, and the benefits are already present.

Sandra Corrales has been working for five years with beekeepers and producers from the Abejas de Barrio collective and created the Beekeeper for a day tour in Xochimilco, through little-frequented water channels (canales), in which local producers participate to promote reassess of their work. This makes it possible to “hacer colmena” (to build beehive), as Sandra says, to increase local economic income and continue with community projects, such as free courses and workshops for girls and boys in chinampas to preserve knowledge and respect for biodiversity, heritage and the culture that extends beyond the conventional areas of Mexico City.

The model also has the objective of mobilizing neighbours and locals, transcending the conventional perspective of tourism so that, for example, people return to buy their groceries in markets or with producers on some of the routes, to consolidate a local circular economy, such as the people who produce tortillas in the upper part of the mountain in Xochimilco.

Other ventures and proposals for the heritage and cultural and natural diversity of Mexico City that are part of this initiative are:

The 24 experiences pursue to contribute to how tourism is carried out in Mexico City, with a focus on a more equitable redistribution of its benefits, which is responsible and dignified for the host communities, and that visitors act with appreciation and respect for diversity and cultural assets, the identities of the inhabitants and the territories they visit, also paying attention to diversity so that all people can also enjoy tourism.

These efforts are already productive. In the last Tianguis Turístico two entrepreneurs from this program were recognized for their initiatives. These are: Fernando Gabriel Acosta Islas who received a mention for "The creation of unique and innovative experiences in CDMX" for Discover the real CDMX by cable car, and Araceli Márquez Romo from Gastronomy from la chinampa to the cazuela who received a recognition for Good Practices of Equality 2023 in the Category of Good practices in the organizational structure of tourism companies.

The full catalogue of proposals for this project is available on the UNESCO website. To reserve a place, you have to enter the Airbnb platform, go to the link for each one, check availability and choose the desired date.

Catalogue of creative, cultural and community tourism in Mexico City.

UNESCO Mexico and Airbnb.

About UNESCO

UNESCO is the specialized agency of the UN for education, science, culture and communication and information. In the cultural sector and through its six cultural conventions, UNESCO promotes the integration of culture as a factor for peace, inclusive economic development, social cohesion, and sustainable management of biodiversity, in addition to the exercise of cultural rights and gender equality, to mention a few examples. UNESCO promotes the development and implementation of policies aimed at promoting sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes culture and local products based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8 and 12 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests into their home in San Francisco and have since grown to more than 4 million hosts who have welcomed 1.4 billion guests in almost every country in the world. Every day, hosts offer both unique stays and experiences that allow guests to connect with communities more authentically.

This article is related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

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