Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval this week delivered official Pueblo Magico certification to the mayors of Talpa de Allende and Mascota.
But while everyone was all smiles in the two southern Jalisco towns, mayors in other communities hoping to earn the designation in the future – including Ajijic – could be forgiven for feeling downcast.
Due to recent budget cuts, the federal Tourism Secretariat (Sector) announced this week that there will be no further additions to the Magic Town program in the immediate future.
Sectur’s annual budget was slashed by 500 million pesos in cuts announced soon after Great Britain voted to leave the European Union in June.
In addition, 14 of the 111 Magic Towns throughout Mexico have been told to make improvements to their infrastructure and promotion policies by August 30 or be stripped of their status.
Pueblo Magico designation brings the attraction of federal funding for infrastructure upgrades designed to lure more tourists to the interior of Mexico.
The addition of the two pueblos to the Magic Town roster brings the total in Jalisco to seven, along with Tequila, Tapalpa, Mazamitla, San Sebastián del Oeste and Lagos de Moreno.
Sandoval confirmed that tourism to Talpa and Mascota has increased by 80 percent since the designation was awarded in October of last year.
Sandoval also announced the creation of 346 part-time jobs in both towns as part of the state’s “Mano con Mano” program. This allows unemployed people to work four hours a day cleaning up their communities, specifically parks, schools, canals, public buildings, etcetera.
“Mano con Mano” aims to create around 7,000 temporary jobs in Jalisco municipalities by the end of the year. Chapala is one of the municipalities that is included in the program.
Jalisco Tourism Director Enrique Flores this week admitted that infrastructure in the state’s Magic Towns is still far from perfect. For example, the facades of many buildings in Mascota need renovation, he noted, while Tapalpa is suffering from a chronic litter infestation that municipal authorities seem unable to control. Flores stressed, however, that none of the seven Jalisco pueblos was in danger of loosing Magic Town status.
Chapala Mayor Javier Degollado has been pushing for Ajijic to be included among Jalisco’s candidates for further Pueblo Magico nominations. That dream will now have to be put on hold, it appears.