Application of a smart destinations index in the Mexican tourism context: Manzanillo and Colima cases

Abstract

This study aims to apply an index of smart tourist destinations in the Mexican context, taking into account the variables identified in contemporary literature. To do this, 766 surveys, 16 interviews, the review of 12 documents and the analysis of 6 official public management websites were carried out. The results reveal that the destinations analyzed have a low level of tourist intelligence, evidencing a lack of indicators in local legislation that adequately support the intelligence of the destinations. Furthermore, a significant lack of transparency in public management stands out. The study highlights that an index of this nature is an indispensable tool for public policy, since it allows measuring and evaluating the performance of governments in the promotion and management of smart tourist destinations.