Inventory and multicriteria evaluation of the attractions of Santa María Yucuhiti, as a base for alternative tourism

Abstract

Santa María Yucuhiti (SMY) is a rural locality located in the mountainous area of the Mixteca in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Despite having natural attractions and a rich cultural heritage, it faces significant social backwardness. This document demonstrates how, through the analysis of the Municipal Development Plan of SMY, various strategies can be combined to preserve both culture and nature within an alternative tourism project that fosters the social development of the community.

SMY lacked a documented record of its attractions, requiring the creation of an inventory to evaluate and determine their potential. A multidisciplinary approach was used to analyze the Municipal Plan, with community guides assisting in identifying resources. Based on the methodology proposed by the Ministry of Ecuador (MINTUR, 2017), and the classification system of the Organization of American States (OAS), 14 cultural and 24 natural resources were evaluated using the Weighted Sum method, a multicriteria decision-making tool. This method incorporated both extrinsic environmental criteria and intrinsic characteristics of each resource. The resources were compared in a matrix for evaluation.

The evaluation identified that the Community Museum, Coffee Process, "Rebotes" River, "Yucuhiti" waterfall, "Outcrops" area, and "Las Perlas" cave received the highest scores. The decisive attributes included factors such as easy access, infrastructure near the resource, and minimal physical risks. It is proposed that the highest-scoring resources be prioritized for management and investment to develop sustainable tourism in the region.