Tourism is the largest industry in the world today. The World Tourism Organization, sponsored by the UN and with headquarters in Madrid, represents 139 countries and more than 350 affiliated members. Spain is a logical place for the HQ since it has been a leader in the industry for decades. Mexico is a close second, with Brazil closing ranks rapidly.

Franklin W Knight

Anyone who has observed the meticulous development of the Mexican tourist industry over the past 40 years must be impressed with its achievements. The Mexicans offer just about every type of tourist activity. Equally important is the definition of a tourist, which includes anyone who patronises a tourist enterprise.

In other words, there is no statistical distinction between locals and foreigners.
Initially, Mexico, like the Caribbean, marketed its fabulous beaches. For a country with two seas (the Sea of Cortes and the Caribbean Sea), one ocean (the Pacific), and a gulf named after itself, beaches are as common as pebbles.

Mexico is a country with an active history of settled communities going back two millennia. Mexicans were established city dwellers long before the Romans built walls against the barbarians in England. Mexicans had sophisticated civilisations whose citizens communicated in writing and constructed the third largest pyramid in the world. Their scientists understood cosmology and created a calendar more accurate than any today.

Mexico has both natural and man-made attractions. Its 22 volcanoes range from some below sea level to others with snow-covered craters. Before the demise of the Mexican railroad system, you could take a rail journey from Mérida to Mexico City, meandering through majestic canyons that took your breath away. Now, for such an unforgettable journey the best location is the fantastic Copper Canyon in northern Chihuahua.

Today, the man-made wonders constructed by ancient Mexicans fall under the category of heritage tourism. No one calls them ruins anymore. But they are lucrative, enhancing economic resources. They attract almost as many visitors as the beaches do.

Many great civilisations flourished in Mexico in the period between 200 BC and 1500 AD. The three best known are the Toltecs, the Aztecs and the Mayas. Toltecs and Aztecs were genuine urban civilisations that flourished in the centre of the country. In the south the Maya, scattered over a wide area from Yucatan to central Guatemala, built a number of ceremonial cities.

Mayan women in the huipi, a traditional dress

Unlike the case of the Toltecs and the Aztecs, no one is absolutely certain why Mayan civilisations collapsed rapidly and inexplicably about 900 AD. For whatever reasons - destruction of the food supply, disease, internal strife, or invasion by non-Maya peoples - the ceremonial centres were abandoned in haste and tropical forests quickly obscured the area.

Yet one reason that we know so much about the ancient Mayas lies in their social organisation. The decline of Mayan civilisation affected the ruling classes. The ordinary folk outside the cities and below the religious and administrative elites continued to live in a simple manner that represents an important aspect of Mayan life today.

The Mexican tourist industry has capitalised on this. Heritage tourism in Yucatan is not about viewing and speculating on archeological discoveries by foreigners pretending to be experts on local antiquity. Heritage tourism in Mexico makes the living connection between the past and the present. It is considered an integral part of the local economy and culture.

Chichen Itza attracted an enviable 1,700,000 visitors in 2005 and isolated Uxmal more than 600,000. At these sites, as at others in Yucatan and across the country, the tourist experience is unforgettable.

You will find a plethora of multilingual guides trained at local universities, who are extremely knowledgeable and articulate about the zone and its history. Not only has the government trained these guides, but it has also invested in the broader infrastructure, restoring the ruins and providing clean, attractive facilities for tourists and local vendors.

Both federal and state governments have attempted to make the investment economically meaningful to the local population over the long run. At every stop one finds entertainers, dancers and singers in local costumes, especially the huipi, beautifully embroidered dresses.

It is possible to visit the homes of ordinary people living almost as simply as their ancestors did centuries ago. To provide employment relief, any tourist group over 25 must employ at least two local guides, and begging by locals is strictly prohibited.

A government that does not demean its people, its culture and its history even as it commodifies them offers an exemplary model to the rest of the world. Any country interested in heritage tourism should take note.

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