Governance and concurrent legal competence in tourism management in Mexico

Abstract

Tourism in Mexico operates within a federal system that recognizes concurrent competencies among federal, state, and municipal authorities. However, the multiplicity of regulations affecting tourism activities and the administrative and fiscal concentration at the federal level create tensions in territorial policy implementation. This study analyzes the legal framework governing tourism in Mexico from the perspective of normative hierarchy, concurrent competence, and regulatory transversality, assessing its implications for governance and sustainable development. The research follows a qualitative doctrinal legal approach based on systematic analysis of the Mexican Constitution, the General Tourism Law, and related federal legislation, complemented by a review of specialized literature on fiscal federalism, multilevel governance, and tourism policy. Findings indicate that although the constitutional design allows intergovernmental coordination, centralized dynamics and regulatory fragmentation hinder integrated sectoral management. Normative harmonization and institutional strengthening at the state and municipal levels are essential to consolidate a more balanced and effective tourism governance model.