DMO PROMOTIONS OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN MEXICO’S BAJIO

Abstract

Promoting cultural heritage has become crucial for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in heritage cities, as it fosters tourism development and shapes the overall cultural identity of a destination. Cultural heritage encompasses both tangible and intangible elements, with the latter focusing on manifestations that uphold the cultural identity of social groups and communities. In recent times, tourists seek authentic cultural experiences, not merely to observe heritage but also to actively engage with it. According to UNWTO (2018), cultural tourism represents almost 40% of all tourism activities. However, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic brought unparalleled challenges to the tourism industry. The objective of this study was to explore the elements that represent ICH in the visual tourism communication of heritage cities in the Mexican Bajio region and examine any modifications made to these elements during the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve these objectives, we employed a content and network analysis of images extracted from the Facebook pages of each city's DMOs (San Miguel de Allende, San Juan del Río, Querétaro and Morelia) from January 2019 to December 2020. Among the main findings, it was revealed that the induced/projected tourist image of the heritage cities in the Mexican Bajio during 2019-2020 emphasized the social aspect, showcasing dynamic experiences and the local community. The pandemic impacted the representation of natural elements, business types, and ICH. In the specific analysis of the ICH of the Bajio region, we found that the domain with the highest representation in the DMO’s visual communication was social practices, rituals, and festive events. In images alluding to festivals and gastronomy, the tourist node disappeared during the pandemic and the node of residents became more central. Elements related to COVID-19, such as masks or warning texts, were identified more frequently in gastronomy images than in festival images.