The local voice of Tequisquiapan, Magical Town of Querétaro

The Magical Towns Program was created in 2001 by the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) in Mexico, its objective is to promote sustainable development in towns with unique attributes throughout the country, as well as to attract economy and a new source of employment to the interior of the republic, different from the offer of sun and beach destinations. 

Although Mexico is recognized worldwide for its beautiful beaches and its environment, this program also seeks to encourage tourists to visit the rest of the country and get to know the attractions that are not so well known. On the other hand, in order to be called a Magical Town, certain requirements must be met; for example: having cultural, natural and historical attributes, as well as being places that preserve their traditions and identify their uniqueness as a destination.

According to Sectur, the program has proven to be a success in certain places, has brought what was promised at the beginning and is currently a successful plan. However, not in all towns this modality has been attractive to the inhabitants, since in many of them, over the years, negative changes have been seen, such as social precariousness, economic inequality and little local development (Enriquez and Vargas, 2021). In this context, through this article we share about the situation of the Magical Town of Tequisquiapan, a place that in recent years has positioned itself in the foreign and national tourism market, but that has areas of opportunity to work on by taking into account what the people of the place perceive.

Context of Tequisquiapan 

Tequisquiapan, whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means "place of waters and tequesquites", is a municipality in the semi-desert region of the state of Querétaro. It was named Pueblo Magico in 2012 for its cultural attractions, such as its handicrafts consisting of basketry, embroidery and leather work. Likewise, it is recognized thanks to its cultural events throughout the year, one of the main ones being the Cheese and Wine Fair, which for 44 years has attracted tourists and locals to enjoy live events and most importantly, to taste the cheeses and wines produced in the state.

In addition to the above, in the last century it was known for its hot springs, to which it owes its name and were the pride of the people of Tequisquiapenses, as well as the clean river that crossed through the town; little of that remains, because due to pollution in recent decades, the beauty of this attraction disappeared, although it is important to mention that there are agents of change who are working for its revitalization and rescue. 

In spite of the impacts that have been generated in the destination, Tequisquiapan continues to be a place frequented by thousands of tourists every year, who seek the wonders that the naming of this town promises them. But what do the locals think? The people who live here do not seem to have the same opinion about the changes occurring in their environment.

Approach to socio-cultural changes in Tequisquiapan

For the purposes of this article, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with some residents and service providers in order to understand how Tequisquiapan has changed from their perspective and since its designation as a Magical Town. In this context, the interviewees agreed that culture is an important part of the town, and that it is fundamental to preserve it in order to maintain the "magic" of the place. Among the cultural features they most appreciate is the preservation of their patron saint's festivities, since these show the true essence of the site, as well as the celebration of traditional dances and the coexistence among the villagers.

Over the years, several people agree that they have been adapting some traditions from other places due to the arrival of tourists and migrants, who in their eyes change the atmosphere and culture of the municipality. An example mentioned by one of the interviewees was the adaptation of the Day of the Dead to be more colorful for the outside public, bringing costume contests and caravans that, she mentions, were not seen before on this important date.

It is worth noting that for most of those interviewed, despite these changes, Tequisquiapan has its culture well rooted and they embrace its traditions, because they do not want to lose what represents them. For them it is a source of pride that tourists seek out this Magical Town for its beauty and tranquility, and for the most part they sympathize with the idea of the municipality being known for these qualities. However, these same characteristics that attract tourists also attract migration to the region, and to the Tequisquiapenses' way of seeing it, this activity ends with the peace of the town.

Although they sympathize with tourists, they do not do so with migrants, since they alter the way of life and they notice negative consequences of their arrival, such as an increase in criminal acts and insecurity. They mention that these effects began to be noticed when the foreign population increased and above all the older interviewees mention that they preferred it when the town had fewer foreigners. In addition to this, some mentioned that the designation of Pueblo Mágico had made life in the municipality more expensive, since buying a house now costs much more than in past decades for the local population, thus leaving the way open to people with greater economic capacity, which in the long term leads to the displacement of the local community.

For those interviewed, not everything is bad; service providers involved in the tourism sector (hotels, restaurants, among others) see an advantage with the designation of Pueblo Mágico, since the economic benefit of this designation is notorious. Those providers that had been in service for more than 12 years gradually perceived the difference in the influx of tourists in their businesses when they received this distinction. Those who had been in service for less than 12 years also observed that it is an advantage to be in a Pueblo Mágico, especially those located near the center of town, where most tourism is concentrated.

Even some service providers who were not directly involved in tourism detected an economic benefit from it, since those who are linked to it seek and purchase their products locally in order to satisfy the needs of tourists, so that the economic benefit also favors third parties. This gain is not for the entire population, and according to the results of the interviews, the farther away they were from the center and the highway, the less benefit there was for them.

Reflection 

Finally, the interviewees agreed that they do not see the "magic" of the town. They mentioned that for them, work is still needed to diversify the activities and tourism offerings in the area. In addition, it is important that the voice of the population be heard, in the sense that tourism management is not only for the outside, to attract more tourists, but at the same time to look inward, towards the community.

It is important to take into account that the appointment can be a door to work on these aspects and, although it seems that there is no magic, there is an area of opportunity to transmit and build the identity of the destination from an integral vision where there are social actors who seek not only their own benefit, but also to support the community in order to make this destination grow in a beneficial way for all.

Article written by Mariana Orozco Vargas, a student of the Bachelor's Degree in Cultural and Natural Tourism Management at the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro.