Gastronomic Sustainable Tourism and Social Change in World Heritage Sites. The Enhancement of the Local Agroecological Products in the Chinampas of Xochimilco (Mexico City)

Abstract

In the Xochimilco area, within the urban perimeter of Mexico City, a unique ancestral agri-food production system persists: the chinampa system, also called chinampería. The chinampa agri-food production is a World Heritage inscribed by UNESCO and contributes to the sustainability of both the peri-urban wetland and the city. In addition, the Xochimilco area is also one of the most important domestic tourist destinations in Mexico City. The current situation of Xochimilco struggles between two core economic activities: agriculture and tourism. Although both activities contribute significantly to the development of the area, both have been noted as systematically damaging the local environment. However, emerging agriculture practices through agroecological production seem to have a positive impact in terms of better tourism praxis where the gastronomy of chinampero product plays a pivotal role. In this article, we will analyze the role of tourism in the area as a massive distorting and contaminant activity, but also from the positive perception and the possibilities of gastronomic tourism as a new responsible modality of tourism linked to sustainability and the mise en valeur of the chinampa agroecological products.