Rural tourism for the sustainable local development of the Mezcalera Region of the Sierra de San Carlos, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Abstract

Since the 20th century, mezcal production in Mexico has increased. The San Carlos region has significant potential for mezcal production and tourism, particularly rural tourism. A multidisciplinary socio-ecological diagnosis was conducted in the Sierra de San Carlos Mezcal Region to analyze its tourism potential. The study examined the region's rural tourism potential for sustainable development. A SWOT analysis was applied to establish a tourism assessment, based on community input and opinions, to identify solutions, strategies, and guidelines. The snowball sampling method was also used to understand the region's tourism potential. The results present appropriate policies to enhance strengths, minimize weaknesses and threats, and capitalize on opportunities. Furthermore, the study identifies areas for improvement by stakeholders to foster tourism development in the region. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the potential of rural tourism in the Sierra de San Carlos Mezcal Region to achieve sustainable development. It is concluded that the area requires rural-oriented tourism projects to allow for sustainable development in the face of the imminent growth of the regional mezcal industry, in addition to the understanding that the vulnerability threshold of rural areas can be extremely high due to the opening up to tourism.