Heritage, tourism theming, and intercultural processes: The cases of Oaxaca, Mexico, and Malaga, Spain

ABSTRACT

Theming is a common tool in urban tourist destinations. It allows the recognition of some type of brand that makes a destination more competitive. In this work, the themings of Oaxaca, Mexico, and Malaga, Spain, are compared. Malaga offers an international and avantgarde cultural experience, while Oaxaca is known for the ancestral traditions that still prevail in the city. It is possible to define a highly touristified spatial core in both cities. Additionally, both cities have themed their historic centers, focusing on historical and intangible elements. We focus on how some tourist systems reproduce ethnocentric, colonial, or other forms of domination while branding their cities for consumption. Even within systems where such an asymmetry cannot be clearly defined, the selection of discourse might affect social self-attitude and identity on varying levels. Although Oaxaca looks firmly at its past, at the same time, such success magnifies tradition and hinders modernity. Meanwhile, Malaga looks to the future but loses some of its traditions at a very high cost.

KEYWORDS:

• Urban tourism
• heritage
• touristification
• theming
• branding

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marco Hernández-Escampa

Marco Hernández-Escampa is a full-time professor and researcher at the Autonomous University of Oaxaca “Benito Juárez.” He got a degree in Architecture by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He obtained his master’s degree in Architectural Sciences at the University of Morelos. He has got two PhDs, one in Materials Science and the other one in Anthropology. His research interests focus on heritage preservation and management, corrosion studies, urban planning, and urban tourism. He teaches on degree, master, and PhD levels in the fields of architectural history, architectural heritage, urban planning, and urban sustainability. He has been invited to give lectures in Mexico, Russia, and Spain. He has been acknowledged as a member of the National Researchers System by the Mexican Research Council and as an Outstanding Professor by the Mexican Secretary of Education.

Daniel Barrera-Fernández

Daniel Barrera-Fernández is an associate professor at the University of Seville. He worked previously at the Autonomous University of Oaxaca “Benito Juárez” and the University of Guanajuato. He got a degree in Architecture and a master’s degree in Heritage Preservation at the University of Seville. His PhD was developed at the University of Malaga, where he obtained the Extraordinary Doctoral Award. His research interests focus on urban planning in historic cities, sustainable mobility, heritage preservation and management, urban and cultural tourism, and accessibility for people with reduced mobility. He teaches on degree, master, and PhD levels in the fields of urban planning, urban sustainability, heritage management and tourism. He has been invited to give lectures in Colombia, Mexico, Russia, and Spain. He has been acknowledged as a member of the National Researchers System by the Mexican Research Council and as an Outstanding Professor by the Mexican Secretary of Education.