What the heck is up with the Mexican government’s surprise decision to name 45 new Pueblos Mágicos in a single whack?

As announced by Secretaria de  Turismo (Sectur) Minister Miguel Torruco Marqués, as of June 26 the magic town roster jumped from 132 to 177 locations overnight.

Is it a genuine effort to boost to the nation’s tourist industry by enticing travelers to explore new and little known destinations? Or perhaps instead, a political ploy aimed at increasing sympathies for the ruling party ahead of the 2024 elections? 

One wonders if the inhabitants of these new magic towns have a clue about the implications of holding the distinction, of the negative as well as positive changes that may be in store over the months and years to come. Do they realize that under the regime of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, federal funding earmarked for Pueblo Mágico projects has been scrapped? That their communities must henceforth rely solely on state and municipal governments to finance upgrades of local infrastructure and other priorities as new tourism hotspots?

While AMLO has turned his sights on sinking billions of pesos into the Tren Maya project, Sectur’s role in the Pueblo Mágico program has been minimized, essentially narrowed down to promoting the entire of gamut of these destinations at national and international tourism fairs.

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