Mexico Pueblos Mágicos tourism program development

Mexico is marking the 25th anniversary of its ‘Pueblos Mágicos’ program, a national initiative intended to diversify tourism by highlighting the cultural, historical, and natural assets of specific localities. Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora stated the program is entering a phase of ‘Shared Prosperity’ to align with President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s vision of using tourism for community development and economic well-being. In 2025, the program reportedly generated an economic impact of approximately 35.275 billion pesos.

At the state level, various regions are implementing localized strategies to bolster the sector. In Puebla, designated towns attracted 3.9 million visitors between January and September, while Baja California Sur is promoting specific towns to diversify tourism beyond beach destinations. In the State of Mexico, officials are working to balance visitor flow between consolidated destinations and lesser-known towns.

In Morelos, the state government is implementing a plan to strengthen its four ‘Pueblos Mágicos’: Tepoztlán, Tlayacapan, Xochitepec, and Tlaltizapán. This initiative focuses on preserving official designations, improving destination management, and enhancing conditions for service providers and local communities through technical assistance and alignment with federal criteria.