Community tourism experiences in the natural protected area of the toluca snow-capped peak, Mexico: Towards the construction of alternative heritage tourism products

Abstract

A participative Action Research was carried out over the protected natural area in the Toluca Snow-Capped Peak in Mexico. It consisted in the development of tourism products in ten communities with communal land [ejido] located within the said area. The aim was to pin down the elements, both objective and subjective, that combined in its construction and to identify the sociocultural meanings typical to these particular regional spaces. It is concluded that the progress in the construction of a tourism product in each communal land relies not only on its potential and social capital, but also in the notions and practices of the actors involved and their synergy with the regional space.