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Paper short abstract:

The study examines state and community tourism projects in Quintana Roo (Mexico) and their impact on indigenous community organization by analyzing actors, new modes of labor processes, objectives versus results and acceptance within the village population.

Paper long abstract:

Since the 1930-ies the Mexican state has inaugurated various programs to foster tourism industries which developed to be the third major sector of employment and income. Generally focusing on "sun and beach"-tourism, policies shifted to include archaeological and historical sites as a commodity in the tourist market in the 1980-ies. Mexican federal states with less splendid historical cities or archaeological breathtaking ruins, thought of alternative 'cultural' proposals. In that regard, Quintana Roo, federal state in the southeast of Mexico and one of the major tourism booming regions because of its Caribbean beaches, invented for the more backward areas the "Route of the Caste War" in the 1990-ies by refurbishing battle places of the 19th century conflict and by founding new memory sites (museums and parks) where specially trained young guides lead the tourists through the local history. New public-private tourism projects are following that pattern. On the one side the state creates new forms of income resources by commodifying historical places and recollections in order to prevent the young from leaving their hometowns. On the other side, inherited patterns of historical knowledge transmission are turned upside down, since local community organization within the Cruzó'ob settlement area (former Caste War region) understand collective memory as an expertise of senior men. The study examines state and community tourism projects in Quintana Roo (Mexico) and their impact on indigenous community organization by analyzing actors, new modes of labor processes, objectives versus results and acceptance within the village population.