Tourism infrastructure: what is it and how is it made?

The touristic infrastructure it is a set of facilities and institutions that constitute the material and organizational base for the development of tourism. It consists of basic services, road system, transport, accommodation, gastronomy, services for cultural and leisure activities, network of shops, tourist protection services and others.

Tourism has become a booming industry worldwide. Annually more than a billion people move outside their usual place to visit places of great attractiveness, in order to spend their vacations, entertain themselves, or perform other leisure activities.

According to the World Tourism Organization, tourism ranks third in exports of services and goods worldwide, with a greater growth in the last five years than international trade.

The tourist attractions form the primary base to attract tourists, giving them a space-time itinerary. However, actions aimed at protecting and adapting to these attractions are necessary in order to generate the tourist movement.

The complementary tourist resources that serve for this purpose are defined as tourist infrastructure.

How is the tourist infrastructure of a country?

The economic apogee has made tourism become for any country an obvious trigger of infrastructure creation, causing an excellent synergy between public and private investment.

The government when it makes investments in tourist infrastructure is creating a beneficial circle with which it encourages private investment and its economic profit, and on the other hand, private investment leads to the social profit sought with government investment.

The tourism infrastructure makes it possible for tourism to develop, so there must be both a strategic plan and good management so that each tourist destination can give an effective maintenance to said infrastructure, in such a way that the tourist feels satisfied and comfortable. with the facilities as with the required services.

The tourist infrastructure of a country is made up of interconnected elements that allow tourists to arrive, stay and enjoy the tourist attraction of their destination, making their trip a pleasure, among which are:

• Basic services: water supply, electricity, telecommunications, waste collection, health and hygiene, security and protection.
• Road system: highways, roads, roads and trails.
• Transportation: airports, seaports, river boats, rail networks, buses, taxis.
• Accommodation: hotels, inns, apartments, camps.
• Gastronomy: restaurants, fast food establishments, taverns, cafes.
• Services for cultural activities: art and entertainment, museums, nature reserves, zoos.
• Services for sports and recreational activities: rental of sports and recreational items, gambling and betting rooms, amusement parks, golf courses, sports courts, diving, skiing.
• Other services: tourist information, equipment and vehicle rental, banking services.
• Network of stores and shops in general.
• Security services / tourist protection.

Commercial entities, such as hotels or restaurants, create and operate infrastructures to serve their customers (tourists). Public entities develop infrastructure not only for the service of tourists but, mainly, for the creation of conditions for the development of the region, serving the whole society (including tourists) and the economy.

Characteristics of the tourist infrastructure in Mexico

An interesting country to know the characteristics of its tourist infrastructure is Mexico. He Mexican tourism represents an immense industry.

One of the most visited countries

According to the World Tourism Organization, Mexico is among the ten most visited countries in the world and is the second most visited country in the Americas, behind the United States.

Mexico has a significant number of sites cataloged by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, which include ancient ruins, colonial cities and nature reserves.

In the report"Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index"of 2017, which measures the factors to do business in the tourist industry of each country, Mexico ranked 22nd in the world ranking, its tourist service infrastructure ranked 43 , health and hygiene in 72, and safety and protection in 113.

Need for development

According to recent statements by the president of the Mexican Association of Hotels and Motels, Mexico needs more infrastructure to attract European tourists and thus depend less on the United States, where 60% of tourists who enter the country come from.

Greater air connectivity is needed, as well as more and better roads and trains to attract tourists from Europe and elsewhere.

Although there are more than 35 international airports in the country, there are major airports saturated, such as Mexico City, and there is a lack of greater internal connectivity that allows other tourist destinations, such as Cancún, to be exploited.

The coastal destination stands out

The coasts of Mexico harbor beaches with an excellent tourist infrastructure. In the Yucatan peninsula, the most popular beach destination is the tourist city of Cancun. South of Cancun is the coastal strip called Riviera Maya.

On the Pacific coast, the most notable tourist destination is Acapulco, famous as the ancient destination of the rich and famous.

To the south of Acapulco are the surf beaches of Puerto Escondido. North of Acapulco is the tourist city of Ixtapa.

Cultural richness

The abundant culture and natural beauty existing in the states of the Mexican southeast allows us to devise an exceptionally competitive tourist destination.

In order for tourists to reach destinations farther away from the main cities, work has been carried out on development plans for tourism infrastructure, such as the planned centers project in Chichén Itza, Calakmul and Palenque, or the trans-peninsular train, the extension of the Cancun airport, as well as the construction of a Convention Center in the city of Mérida, the construction of hospitals or the increase of roads.

Thus, when a tourist arrives at the Cancun airport, apart from enjoying the modern tourist welcome offered by the Riviera Maya and its beautiful beaches, you can also penetrate other places in the area; know for example the historic center of Campeche, the route of the cenotes, archaeological sites revealing the great Mayan culture, or delight in jungle tourism.

In the same way you can make a guest at a congress in Merida, which will surely expand your visit depending on the formidable and varied local offer.

All this will produce a significant economic income, since during your stay that tourist will taste the cuisine of the region, buy handicrafts and souvenirs, will stay in different accommodations and hire tourist guides or means of transport in the same region.

References

1. International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 New York, 2010. United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division. Studies in Methods Series M No. 83 / Rev.1. Available in: unstats.un.org
2. OMT panorama of international tourism. Edition 2017. World Tourism Organization. October 2017. eISBN: 978-92-844-1904-3 ISBN: 978-92-844-1903-6. Available at e-unwto.org.
3. Tourism Infrastructure as a determinant of regional development. Panasiuk, Aleksander. University of Szczecin. ISSN 1648-9098. Ekonomika go vadiba: Actualijos go perspectyvos. 2007
4. Tourism in Mexico. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Taken from en.wikipedia.org
5. Infrastructure for tourism. Secretariat of Tourism of Mexico. May 2015. Available at sectur.gob.mx.
6. More infrastructure, key to attract European tourism. The Universal newspaper of Mexico. 01/20/2018 Available at eluniversal.com.mx.