Sayulita Awarded Pueblo Magico Status (an interview with Marcos Scott)

(An interview with Marcos Scott)

On Friday, September 25^th, Sayulita was declared a Pueblo Magico. This program was launched in 2001 by Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism. Currently there are 111 towns, including Sayulita, that have the status of being a Pueblo Magico. Marcos Scott, who played a huge roll in Sayulita gaining this status, sits down with El Sayulero and shares more about this exciting change in our community.

What does it mean to be a Pueblo Magico?  

The Pueblos Magicos program was created by Mexico's SECTUR, the federal Department of Tourism, as a way of recognizing those places that stand out in the collective consciousness of the nation as possessing unique attributes that set them apart from other traditional tourist destinations like Acapulco, Vallarta and Cancún, and as a means of showcasing the incredible diversity of alternatives that Mexico's tourism sector has to offer.  

What was your role in helping Sayulita be named a Pueblo Magico?  

Last November I was invited as a member of Pro Sayulita, along with a good number of local people associated with the various civil associations in Sayulita, to attend a meeting convened by the State Director of Tourism, Rodrigo Perez, who informed us of the intention of our governor Roberto Sandoval to put Sayulita forth as a candidate for the distinction of "Pueblo Mágico”.  A committee was formed from those who attended this meeting and I was selected as president of the Pueblo Mágico Committee of Sayulita.

What were some of the steps Sayulita had to do to qualify to become a Pueblo Magico? 

The first step was that the Pueblo Magico committee had to be formed. Numerous studies needed to be conducted detailing all of the tourism related services and businesses in the area from airports to hospitals, restaurants, activities, extreme sports, transportation, etc. in order to provide a detailed picture of what Sayulita has to offer and to determine whether we met the statutory requirements of the program. We needed to present a thesis setting out the reasons that we believe set Sayulita apart from other destinations and should be named Pueblo Magico. And a lot more...

How many local folks were involved in the application process?  

About 30-40 local people attended meetings regularly and all had a part in helping with the process. All those who were part of the local committee are local in the sense that they live in Sayulita. About 85% are from the original families. 

How many towns applied to become a Pueblo Magico? How many were picked?  

I don't have the exact number, but I think there were around 250 towns that applied. Sayulita was one of 28 new towns to receive this distinction on September 25.

How are towns picked to join the ranks of those already declared Pueblo Magicos?  

First, they must be put forth as candidates from their respective State and Municipal governments. The town must meet a long list of requirements, a few of which have been outlined above. Then a representative from the National Pueblos Magicos program visits the town to verify that the information sent is correct and that the town does indeed qualify. Finally, the national committee reviews all of the information and selects the towns that it believes best fulfill the vision of the program.

What is it that sets Sayulita apart? 

I think each of your readers will have their own answer to this question, but for me the "magic" of Sayulita is the result of the special blend of local Mexican, artist and surf cultures and the relationship between the locals and people from all over the world who have fallen in love with this magic pueblo and its people. Sayulita is the first and only Pueblo Magico that has a wave as its principal attraction. There are only a few places in the world that can boast a surf break that is directly in front of their town. Sayulita has three different breaks, all directly adjacent to the main town, which allow surfers of all levels to excel, from young children and beginners to some of the best surfers in the world. Additionally, Sayulita offers many family oriented, ecological and health oriented activities like paddle boarding, skate boarding, hiking, canopy tours, horseback riding, whale watching, etc.

What benefits come from being a Pueblo Magico?

I believe that there are many benefits that will come with this distinction. One of the most important benefits from my point of view is the requirement that all segments of the community participate in the process. The Pueblo Magico program is also a funding mechanism designed to get special funding to towns with this distinction. As a Pueblo Magico, all levels of government must be more attentive to our needs because Pueblos Magicos are the towns that are put forth to showcase the incredible beauty and cultural diversity that Mexico is all about.

What does being a Pueblo Magico mean for businesses in Sayulita? 

I think that the first thing we will notice is that our low season will begin to disappear. Solving our parking, traffic congestion, garbage and sewage problems will allow us, as a town, to provide the quality experiences that our visitors and residents deserve. This will obviously be good for business.

Do you have an idea of the most important/ biggest changes in Sayulita the status of being a Pueblo Magico will bring? 

As I mentioned, I think that this program has the potential to bring the people of our town together in a way that has been elusive to us before. When we recognize that we are all more successful when we work together for the common good we will have achieved something amazing for Sayulita.

How does this affect tourism?   

We believe that over time this program will make Sayulita a cleaner, safer and more interesting destination for our visitors.

What are a few of the other towns that have been declared a Pueblo Magico?  

Some that are relatively close to Sayulita are San Sebastian del Oeste, Talpa de Allende, Mascota, and Jala.  Some that many of your readers will know are Patzcuaro, San Cristobal de las Casas, Tequila, and Taxco.

Some people in Sayulita are very excited about our status as a Pueblo Magico, others are skeptical about the changes that will be made due to this status. Why do you think this change is positive for Sayulita? 

Those are obviously the two most common reactions to any proposed change. We all need to work together to assure that any changes will be for the common good.

When do you expect that Sayulita will first start seeing positive change… Particularly with issues such as the water treatment plant and garbage service?  

We are in the process of getting some meetings set up. I can say that our number one priority will be to get a solid commitment and timetable to get the WWTP operating at 100% efficiency, with the ultimate goal of having it moved to a more suitable location. Other priorities are paving streets in the neighborhoods, solving our parking and traffic problems. The list goes on.

Would you like to address any of the concerns you’ve heard from the locals? 

Some of the concerns we have heard are: That street vendors will be eliminated, all buildings will have to be painted the same color, signs for businesses will have to be very small and all use the same colors.  Also people are concerned that regulations will be much stricter and that this will affect those most in need. And people think that the government will spend all the money on cosmetic improvements to the town's centro while ignoring basic infrastructure in the neighborhoods. We share many of those concerns, but some are misinformed. For example, while it might be appropriate for a colonial city like Patzcuaro, Michoacan to regulate the colors of buildings and signs in the city center, Sayulita is about diversity and color. Sayulita was selected because of what sets us apart, not to make us conform to some preconceived cookie cutter concept. What people need to know is that the Pueblo Magico committee will have considerable influence over what happens in Sayulita. Everyone needs to get involved and to be thoughtful about selecting representatives who will defend their interests and especially those of our pueblo. The current consensus of the committee is to focus first on important infrastructure issues like the WWTP, paving roads, keeping streets clean, etc.

Is there anyone you would like to thank? 

First, I think people need to know that achieving Pueblo Magico status for Sayulita was a monumental task involving multiple federal, state and municipal agencies as well as concerned citizens and the Pueblo Magico committee of Sayulita.  There are so many people and agencies that I would like to thank, but I'd like to start with our governor Roberto Sandoval and Nayarit's Secretary of Tourism in 2014, Rodrigo Perez who championed the proposal to make Sayulita a Pueblo Magico along with our municipal president Jose Gomez without whom Sayulita would never have been considered for this honor. I would also like to thank the new Secretary of Tourism for the State of Nayarit, Catalina Ruiz and Juanita Duarte, Clarissa Arrellano and the staff of the state tourism department as well as Yosef Verduzco, Director of the Department of Tourism for the municipality of Bahia de Banderas, Jorge Garcia and the staff of that department who put in long hours to gather reams of information essential to complete the requirements necessary for us to achieve the status we now hold. We would also like to thank all the directors and staffs from multiple departments all levels of government who put in countless hours doing whatever was necessary to push forward this effort in order for Sayulita to be selected for the program. Finally, and I hope I will be forgiven if I forget to mention some of those who have contributed to this effort, I want to thank the Pueblo Magico Committee of Sayulita and all of you in Sayulita who have helped to make this possible. Some of the members of the committee and others who spent numerous hours working on this project are Rodrigo Peña Jr., Manuel Navarrette, Ignacio Sanchez, Liliana Perez, Luis Verdin, Chayo Plascencia, Jessica Ramos, Sonia Gallegos Fernando Ramos, Juan Jose "Payo" Cortez, Manuel Plascencia, Felipe "Chilly Willy" Hernandez, Ignacio Rivera, Enrique "Cocula" Rodriguez, Kalle Carranza, Luis Angel Gordian, Enrique Moeller, our Delegado Jesus Rodriguez, Teodoro Guerrero president of the Citizens Action Committee, Marcel Moreno ....  I would like to give special thanks to Linda Mariscal who wrote a large portion of the thesis which helped us win this distinction & Oswaldo Vallejo from Pro Sayulita who put in countless hours and helped with much of the paperwork and legal issues.

Anything else you would like to add?  

For this program to really make the most positive difference in our town, we all need to do our part. The first step is to get organized so that everyone in Sayulita is represented. Our Delegado and the Citizen's Action Committee will be working with the neighborhoods to make sure that each one submits a representative. Special interest groups such as Ejido, Charros, Sports Clubs, Surfers, Merchants, Civil Associations, PTA's... will send representatives and individuals known for shaping public opinion will be invited to create a committee that will choose the next Board of Directors of Pueblo Magico Sayulita. This permanent committee will inform the board as to what the community wants and needs and will communicate board decisions and ideas to the groups they represent.