The Ministry of Public Education (Secretaría de Educación Pública, SEP), through the National Technological Institute of Mexico (TecNM), and the Ministry of Federal Tourism (Secretaría de Turismo, Sectur) signed an agreement to implement innovative projects focused on sustainability, technological development and community involvement in the Mexican tourism sector.
The document, signed by the General Director of TecNM, Ramón Jiménez López, and the Undersecretary of Tourism, Sebastián Ramírez Mendoza, seeks to strengthen sustainable community tourism in Mexico and boost its development through the professionalization, training and certification of tourism service providers, aligning the strategies of TecNM and Sectur with national regulations and international standards.
With this agreement, both institutions will develop joint projects and implement strategies to consolidate more equitable, sustainable and innovative tourism models. Among them is the creation of the National Network of Sustainable Community Tourism, which will coordinate the work of the TecNM with local communities and strategic actors in the tourism sector.
Jiménez López, TecNM General Director, pointed out that this agreement is aimed at historically marginalized and forgotten sectors, promoting community tourism as a development strategy. In this sense, he affirmed that the SEP and Sectur seek to vindicate the historical debt of the Mexican State with the most vulnerable communities.
Jiménez López emphasized that this agreement opens up a great opportunity for TecNM students, since through Sectur they will be able to take courses to obtain accreditation as tour guides in local communities.
Ramírez Mendoza, Undersecretary of Tourism, highlighted the importance of strengthening sustainable community tourism, which generates development and shared prosperity for resident communities by redistributing the economic benefits of tourism.
“The fact that an institution of this size is collaborating on this task, allowing communities to play a leading role in tourism, represents a key lever. I am sure that we will soon see the fruits of this agreement, which will strengthen our projects,” he said.
The agreement also includes the revision and updating of curricula within academic programs with the aim of promoting accreditation and certification mechanisms that guarantee that TecNM graduates in tourism and related fields have the skills required by Sectur to work as tour guides.
In addition, a Diploma in Sustainable Community Tourism will be created, aimed for TecNM teachers, to strengthen their skills in the management of sustainable tourism projects, aligned with the principles of conservation of biocultural heritage and the social economy.
Currently, there are more than 15,000 active tour guides in Mexico. The objective is to contribute to the professionalization of the sector and guarantee the quality of community-based tourism services.
Another strategic pillar is the strengthening of links with communities, promoting the creation of tourism projects in strategic regions based on the Sustainable Community Tourism Destinations Program (DTCS).
At the same time, the integration of communities will be promoted through the Social and Solidarity Economy Nodes (NODESS), encouraging their participation in the management of their tourism resources.
Additionally, technical assistance will be offered to microenterprises and tourism cooperatives, supporting them in improving their business models and facilitating their access to sources of financing.
In the area of innovation and digitalization of community tourism, a digital tourism promotion platform will be developed to make the community destinations included in the agreement more visible, thus improving their positioning and competitiveness.
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