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evenues are added, total tourism revenues for
1996 were expected at $18.1 billion dollars. The
industry as a whole generates almost 12 per cent of
Mexico's GDP, making an important contribution
to the Mexican economy. It is estimated that one in
every ten jobs in Mexico is related directly or
indirectly to tourism, with 2.2 million jobs in 1996.
In addition, approximately 15 per cent �$8.1 billion
for 1996) of the total capital investment in
infrastructure, installations and equipment is
attributed to the industry, as well as 10 per cent
�$50 billion for 1996) of the governments' total tax
revenue.
The success of Mexico in the international
tourism scene is justified. The country possesses a
rich diversity of attractions in terms of natural
resources going from Caribbean and Pacific
beaches to mountains and snowy volcanoes, and
from deserts to dense rain forests traversed by
whitewater rivers and accommodating a large
biodiversity. In addition, its cultural heritage is
marked by ethnic diversity and the mix of cultures,
ranging from important pre-Columbian civilisations
like the Mayas, Aztecs and Olmecs that
inhabited the territory to the Spanish conquerors
who made it an important colonial centre. This
mix is reflected in a large number of archaeological
sites, many colonial buildings, an extensive variety
of arts and handicrafts, a rich cuisine and
colourful religious and folklore festivals. In addition,
Mexico City, one of the most populous cities
in the world, provides the cultural, artistic, and
shopping conveniences of any large metropolis, as
do many other large cities.
However, this vast supply of attractions has been
largely underexploited because the government has
focused its tourism development strategy to cater
to the sun and beaches market, resulting in planned
integrated beach resorts at selected destinations.
The prime example of this type of development is
Cancun �a hand-picked location built into a resort
city from the ground up) that grew from 300
inhabitants in 1974 to more than 250,000 in 1995.
Under the Mexican system, these resorts are
known as `megaprojects', and they are the
responsibility of FONATUR �Fondo Nacional de
Fomento al Turismo), a special government agency
established in 1974 �although its predecessor had
been created as early as 1956) by the special Ley de
Mexico 389
Fomento al Turismo �Law of Tourism Promotion),
in order to foster the creation of this industry.
The country has a long history of government
involvement in the promotion of tourism that goes
back to the last century. In 1927, immediately after
the Mexican Revolution, the road route Mexico
City±Cuernavaca±Taxco±Acapulco was inaugurated,
and with this one the most important
tourism routes in Mexico to this date was created.
Acapulco emerged as an important destination.
The decade of the 1940s is known as the golden era
of tourism in Mexico. At the end of the Second
World War, with Europe and the Orient heavily
damaged, Mexico emerged as an alternative
destination, especially to its North American
neighbours who constituted the bulk of tourism
demand at the time. Furthermore, the president at
the time, Miguel Aleman, considered a national
tourism hero in Mexico, gave priority to the sector
by building roads and airports, signing the first
federal tourism law and creating the first tourism
school; he also promoted the development of
Acapulco as a beach resort popular with international
tourists and jet-setters. In the 1960s,
President Lopez Mateos advanced the First
National Plan of Tourism Development and the
National Tourism Council, headed by the now expresident
Aleman. At present, tourism in Mexico is
the responsibility of the Secretariat of Tourism,
created in 1974, the same year as FONATUR.
The main destinations of Mexico are Cancun,
Acapulco, Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan
for the sun and beaches segment. Monterrey and
Mexico City constitute important destinations for
the business segment, while Tijuana is famous for
border-crossing tourism. The Baja California area
is emerging as a destination for adventure
tourism, in addition to beach resorts. The
Yucatan area is famous for its Mayan archaeological
sites; while Mexico City has some nearby
Aztec archaeological sites. The Bajio area, which
includes Guanajuato and San Miguel Allende, as
well as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Oaxaca,
have many examples of colonial architecture.
In terms of infrastructure, the country is well
endowed, especially compared to other developing
countries. A recent build, operate and transfer
legislative programme in infrastructure has significantly
improved the road system, with modern