Alternative tourism and territorial location: the case of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

The official promotion of alternative tourism seeks environmental conservation and the improvement of the living conditions of indigenous and peasant populations with relative success in the results thus far. Considering that location is central to economic performance, measured by number of tourists and income plus total financing, we analysed statistically alternative tourism's results over three types of location. We used information from the Alternative Tourism Atlas of the Yucatan Peninsula. The results show that income depend on the number of tourists, but that location may alter this link. The best economic performance is given in the location close to mass tourism sites. However, the policy of promoting alternative tourism seems to be based on the idea that all places can become tourist products without considering their territorial location.