Pueblo Mágico

The Programa Pueblos Mágicos (Spanish   ) ("Magical Villages Programme") is an initiative led by Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR), in conjunction with other federal and state agencies, to promote a series of towns around the country that offer visitors a "magical" experience – by reason of their natural beauty, cultural riches, or historical relevance. The Mexico Tourism Board acknowledges that México´s magical element, and not only its sun and beaches, is what keeps many tourists coming back. Thus, they created the 'Pueblos Mágicos' program to recognize places across the country that imbue certain characteristics that make them unique and historically significant.

The programme was launched in 2001 and by 2012 a total of 83 towns and villages in all 31 states have been awarded the title Pueblo Mágico.

The objectives of forming this program are:

In order to pertain to the program the towns should have a population of at least 20 thousand, and should be located no more than 200 km (124.27 miles) or the equivalent of traveling two hours by land, from the touristic destination. In addition to the town’s municipal and state authorities requesting incorporation to SECTUR so that they can make an assessment visit to evaluate the potential of the site, the criteria needed in order to be considered for incorporation into the program are:

I. A formally constituted Pueblo Mágico committee.

II. A town council accord (an agreement to apply for admittance into the program)

III. Agreement of the state congress

IV. Direct economic contribution towards touristic development in projects, action plans and programs.

V. A municipal touristic development program updated with a time frame of at least three years.

VI. Updated ordinations with a touristic focus during current administration of the Municipality.

VII. Evidence of symbolic attraction of the aspiring community.

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Wikipedia