Competitiveness and tourism GDP in Magic Towns: an analysis based on the theory of forgotten effects

The magic towns of Mexico require strategies that help them to face competition and influence the economic development of the country and the tourism sector itself. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the relationship between tourism competitiveness and tourism GDP in the magic towns, in order to identify direct and indirect effects of the phenomenon from the perspective of experts. To respond to this approach made, the theory of forgotten effects proposed by Kaufmann & Aluja in 1988 was used. In order to apply the forgotten effects, 25 experts from different countries and knowledgeable about the “Pueblos Mágicos” programme evaluated the cause-effect relationships. A close relationship was observed between natural and cultural resources and stock market, exchange and investment activities. A strong relationship was also found between accessibility to the destination, tourism infrastructure and complementary tourism services with photography and videography services. Finally, a relationship was found between natural resources and retail trade. These relationships suggest that investment in natural and cultural resources, improved accessibility, tourism infrastructure and the promotion of complementary tourism services can have a positive impact on the local economy. Prior to the present work, an evaluation between the two aforementioned variables (tourism competitiveness and tourism GDP) in Magic Towns had not been performed. With the results obtained, the cause-effect relationships of the phenomenon under study were made visible, both direct and indirect relationships, thus being able to obtain a complete picture and in fact, facilitate both decision-making and the generation of strategies that seek to improve these tourist destinations.