Sustainability in public policies for local management of tourism in Cozumel, Mexico.

Abstract

In local management, sustainability depends not only on the condition of the environment but also on the complex interrelationships among stakeholders. This research has used Graph Theory (GT) to create network graphs, which allows calculating indicators to obtain the most influential node; among nodes representing the classification of texts and stakeholders obtained from public-hearings minutes from 2002 to 2016 in Cozumel, Mexico. First, public actions have been classified into categories; next, subcategories; and finally, related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Subsequently, a Text Network Analysis (TNA) and Social Network Analysis (SNA) were made using UCINET and NetDraw software to find the most promoted SDG and the influence of stakeholders in promoting SDGs. The result shows that SDG 11 is the most crucial node and has the highest degree of centrality due to the promotion of tourism as the main economic activity; and that the public sector dominates the decision-making process. These findings helped to elucidate the structure of the networks, highlighting that the exercise of sustainability is asymmetric, and it is necessary to promote all SDGs equivalently in local management.