Carrying Capacity for Tourism in San Miguel de Allende Dr. Edward W. Manning Tourisk Inc., August 2018 1 Acknowledgements The author of this report, Dr. Edward W. Manning wishes to recognize the excellent support and assistance from the Consejo Turistico de San Miguel de Allende in the research and development of this study. During the research and writing the staff of Consejo Turistico, particularly Eduardo Saravia and Jose De Anda Perez helped arrange the field work, meetings with key stakeholders and access to information sources necessary for this study and the continuing assistance from Guillermo Gonzales made the work both pleasant and productive. It is also important to recognize the input from the Observatorio Turistico del Estado de Guanajuato who assisted in the initial study definition and who provided key information. This has been a most interesting and rewarding study and the author hopes that this will contribute to keeping San Miguel de Allende one of the world’s most attractive and agreeable destinations. 2 Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 6 1) Carrying Capacity and Sensitivity ............................................................................. 7 2) Study Procedures ..................................................................................................... 8 3) Background – the tourism destination of San Miguel de Allende .............................. 9 4) Tourism: Growth, Impacts and Management Issues .............................................. 11 Traffic and congestion ............................................................................................................................ 11 Access to your hotel or guest house ...................................................................................................... 13 Hotel Occupancy .................................................................................................................................... 13 Tourist/Visitor numbers and behavior ..................................................................................................... 14 Noise ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Garbage: ................................................................................................................................................. 15 Gentrification ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Land Use Control .................................................................................................................................... 18 Accessibility ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Security ................................................................................................................................................... 18 Expanding SMA Tourism Assets ............................................................................................................ 19 Water. ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 Summary: ................................................................................................................................................ 20 5) Observations and Considerations ........................................................................... 21 Image and Ambience .............................................................................................................................. 21 Tourist Expectations ............................................................................................................................... 22 Maintaining the Tourism Sector .............................................................................................................. 22 Governance ............................................................................................................................................ 24 Traffic control .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Very rapid growth .................................................................................................................................... 25 Private bus systems ................................................................................................................................ 25 Parking. ................................................................................................................................................... 25 6) Menu and Exploration of Possible Solutions ........................................................... 26 Integrated Planning ................................................................................................................................. 26 Limiting Rate of City Growth ................................................................................................................... 26 Influencing the Tourist Mix ...................................................................................................................... 27 Traffic control and limiting vehicle access to the centre. ........................................................................ 28 Tourist Activity and Behaviour ................................................................................................................ 29 Pedestrian routes. ................................................................................................................................... 29 Guiding and Directing Tourists ............................................................................................................... 30 Smoothing Walking Routes .................................................................................................................... 30 3 Services .................................................................................................................................................. 31 Information .............................................................................................................................................. 31 Contribution to Preservation and Access ............................................................................................... 32 Security/tourist police .............................................................................................................................. 32 Managing Impacts on Local Residents ................................................................................................... 32 Human Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................. 33 Tourist Facilities ...................................................................................................................................... 33 Water and Sewage ................................................................................................................................. 35 7) Atotonilco ................................................................................................................ 35 Issues - Atotonilco .................................................................................................................................. 35 Observations – Atotonilco ....................................................................................................................... 36 Control and Regulation – Atotonilco ....................................................................................................... 37 Information Sources- Atotonilco .............................................................................................................. 37 Candidate Solutions- Atotonilco .............................................................................................................. 37 8) Assessment of potential solutions in context of San Miguel and Atotonilco ............ 40 9) Recommendations .................................................................................................. 43 • Sustainable tourism plan. ................................................................................................................ 43 • Coordination Organization .............................................................................................................. 43 • Participatory Planning ..................................................................................................................... 43 • Regular resident survey .................................................................................................................. 44 • Growth of tourism sector ................................................................................................................. 44 • Air B and B and other unofficial accommodation ............................................................................ 45 • Exit survey ....................................................................................................................................... 47 • Gentrification 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