The Mayan milpa in Yucatán: A transition between patrimonialization and turistification?

Abstract

This work describes two process: the milpa in Yucatan península –specifically at the mayan village of Ek Balam– is going through: the patrimonialization and the turistification. Besides being an inmaterial and biocultural heritage, the milpa is an agricultural, sociocultural and technical system that has been used in rural communities of the Yucatan Península before the arrival of Spaniards. It is a dynamic system that has remained despite the adverse socioeconomic, environmental and economic circumstances. Nowadays, tourism has become interested in this type of spaces, and the economic benefits it generates represent a valuable extra income for local communities. The interest of local Goverment to promote this kind of heritage is discussed in this paper.