The tale of the “Pueblos Mágicos” brand: an architectural heritage perspective

Abstract

Objective

Cultural heritage has become an unquestionable value in the processes of tourism. It is a set of relevant material and immaterial goods among which the architecture stands out, whose category is assigned due to the recognition of its physical, historical, technical and emotional attributes. Thus, it is exhorted with a new narrative that nurtures certain imaginaries. In the case of the materialization of the Mexican brand “Pueblos Mágicos” (Magic Towns), the interest in the effect in architecture can offer an access to the new narrative that legitimates it, integrated to the brand, an innovated system of representations. It is based on the claim that this implies that the brand is incorporating elements outside these towns, for which it becomes an imposed narrative, a hypothesis that is sought to be verified through the interpretation of heritage architecture.

Methodology

This, by means of a qualitative methodology that explores the narratives derived from the totalizing discourse of the brand as well as from the built-up representations, through the overflow based on the recognition of a greater scope identity.

Conclusions

After exploring a brief sample of examples we conclude in a preliminary way that the architectures that make most of these tourist destinations do not respond to the local imaginary but to the image of the brand.

Originality

The base of it originality is in a critical contribution on the production process of a consolidated Mexican tourism brand and its impact in terms of significance.