Abstract

VALDEZ, Raúl. Ghost Legends from the Historical District of Puebla, Mexico: A Complementary Tourist Attraction?. Estud. perspect. tur. [online]. 2010, vol.19, n.4, pp.553-569. ISSN 1851-1732.

Many historical sites, heritage buildings and geographical regions around the world are linked to popular legends related to ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. Different studies demonstrate that these phenomena have been utilized as additional features to increate the attraction of these sites for tourist. In spite of using ghosts and specters o other supernatural phenomena however, to add interest for historical or heritage sites, this practice has not been widely studied from the perspective of tourist satisfaction. After an exploratory study realized with the help of historians, city chroniclers, tourist guides and employees working in the historical district of the city of Puebla, Mexico, fifteen civil and religious heritage buildings linked to legends of ghosts and supernatural phenomena were identified. This study supports the creation and promotion of three tourist routes containing the most famous historical buildings linked to legends of ghosts and supernatural phenomena in order to increase their interest for tourists. Finally, this paper proposes the need to undertake more formal research focused on assessing the level of tourist gratification resulting from visits to heritage buildings and sites linked to supernatural phenomena.

Keywords : Legends; Ghosts; Supernatural phenomena; Cultural tourism.

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