Diversification in Tourism-Related Activities and Social Sustainability in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico

Martín Aubert Hernández-Calzada, Carla Carolina Pérez-Hernández and Francisco Jesús Seoane
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Martín Aubert Hernández-Calzada: Institute of Economic Sciences and Management, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, 42160 Pachuca, Mexico
Carla Carolina Pérez-Hernández: Institute of Economic Sciences and Management, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, 42160 Pachuca, Mexico

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 22, 1-17

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to explore the empirical relationships between the economic diversification of tourism-specific products (TSPs) and human development (as a key piece of social sustainability) at the sub-state level using the scenario of the State of Hidalgo in the year 2014 (the most recent period available) as the context for the study. The first step was to develop an algebraic analysis using the reflection method (RM) to map, for the first time, the diversity and ubiquity of the municipalities of Hidalgo in relation to tourism-related activities in the region. Secondly, additional diversity proxy measures were calculated, namely Shannon’s entropy and the Hirshman–Herfindalhl index, using employment data derived from the TSPs. This allowed us to run a series of regressions that show the explanatory power of the diversification of tourism-related activities on human development. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the diversification of tourism activities within the analyzed context is essential for social sustainability, which frames the relevance of tourism to promote the development of the region. Finally, it is noted that one of the greatest contributions of this research is the provision of empirical evidence regarding the diversity of the TSPs in a specific context, because given the peculiar structure of tourism, it is not easy to quantify the diversification of the tourism sector in an economy.

Keywords: diversification; social sustainability; tourism-specific products (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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