SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MYCOLOGICAL CULINARY HERITAGE AS A TOURIST RESOURCE AND ITS DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract

Purpose. To identify contributions to the sustainability of the territory from the tourist uses of mycological culinary heritage, within the context of late capitalism. Method. Multiple case studies with a qualitative and exploratory approach. No probabilistic sampling by snowball technique and validation by saturation criterion, to develop multiple perspectives through triangulation strategy. Semi-structured interviews (N = 24) applied to key informants around the practice of mycological tourism. Findings. The cases studied showed evidence of the contributions that mycological tourism can generate in the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development. However, the capacity of these very specific initiatives for their incorporation into major development strategies is not clear. There is the ambivalence between the preservation of heritage and its economic use, related to the hedonistic and experiential logic of late capitalism. Research and conclusions limitations. This is a case study only recovering the internal perspective of some communities in central Mexico that participate in mycological tourism strategies. Practical implications. Qualitative studies that provide a deep vision regarding tourism experience of rural communities are a useful source of information for the design of public policies that meet the real needs of their users and to propose development strategies, based on the characteristics of each context. Originality. The articulation between tourism based on wild foods and sustainability, from a critical and qualitative perspective. Type of paper. Research article.