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One out of three communities that were integrated into the Magical Villages program in 2012 have shown an increase in poverty.
The tourist brand has operated for 17 years and groups 121 communities composed of 6 million people .
The program began with the goal of increasing welfare and employment levels in rural communities, as well as to foster investment in said communities through the organization of complementary tourist activities diversified throughout the country, following both historical and cultural criteria.
The federal government gives each community MXN$5.2 million annually . By the middle of the year, the investment had grown to a total of MXN$6 billion .
The head of Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), Enrique de la Madrid , has claimed that the Magical Villages program constitutes a very important tool to combat poverty in the country and foster the development of communities that are mainly dedicated to tourism.
In 2012, at the end of Felipe Calderón ’s administration, a total of 34 communities were added to the program , representing a total of 2 million 300 thousand Mexicans .
However, by 2015, 11 Magical Villages showed an increase in poverty levels while in 23 of them, poverty was reduced, according to the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL) .
Having been one of the least underdeveloped communities on the list, the village of Arteaga, in the state of Coahuila , showed the highest poverty increase. While in 2010, 6,340 of its people were living in poverty conditions, the number grew to 9,039 in 2015, which accounts for 25.3% to 41% of its population .
Often referred to as “ The City of Jacarandas ,” Jiquilpan, Michoacán , also showed a sustained increase in poverty after its integration into the Magical Villages program, going from 25% to 31.6% .
Francisco Madrid
, the director of the Tourism and Gastronomy Faculty at the Anáhuac University , argued that the Magical Villages brand was jeopardized at the end of Felipe Calderón’s administration since several communities that had been incorporated into the program did not meet the required standards.
The soon-to-be minister of Tourism, Miguel Torruco , has promised to reevaluate the program and plans to suspend appointments for villages that have not met the requested criteria.
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