Effects of economic specialization in tourism industry on the urban configuration: empirical evidence from the city of Cancun

Seminario de investigación del IIEP

Effects of economic specialization in tourism industry on the urban configuration: empirical evidence from the city of Cancun
Expone | Diana A. Prelorenzo | CREDA – UMR 7227 | Université Paris Sorbonne Nouvelle / CNRS

Resumen

In Latin America, urbanization has been intensive that implies growing challenges for regional development. Purpose – This paper aims to analyze the intra urban spatial distribution of the economic activity and the effect of the spatial economic structure on the urban configuration of the city. Methodology – Using the data of the Economic census (2019), we analyze the economic activity of the city of Cancun (Mexico) at a local level to identify economic concentration in the tourism industry. We compute a global spatial autocorrelation statistic based on the establishment’s employment, as well as local spatial autocorrelation statistics to detect clusters. We use an spatial analysis as a method to measure the effect of economic concentration and agglomeration. Findings – Results show a geographic distribution of the employment in economic activities and tourism industry with a high positive Moran’s I that indicates positive spatial autocorrelation. This confirms the hypothesis of a spatial pattern. The local indicator of spatial association statistic tends to show a tourism concentration in the center of the city and the seafront. Originality– This paper offers an empirical approach of the urban economic concentration showing a spatial dependence linked to the tourism specialization of the city, that contributes to enrich studies on urban structure in developing countries and the relationship with tourism sector.