Based on satellite photos of night light from NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense, and using the methodology proposed by Henderson, Storeygard and Weil (2012), this paper measures the economic growth of the main 15 beach tourist areas in Mexico for the period from 1993 to 2017. This methodology opens a new series of opportunities to measure economic activity, by providing new tools for measurement at the regional level, regardless of administrative boundaries.

Se utiliza la metodología desarrollada por Henderson, Storeygard y Weil (2012), quienes analizan fotografías satelitales para medir el desempeño económico de las principales 15 zonas turísticas de playa en México, para el periodo de 1993 a 2017, tomando en consideración que son subregiones y muchas pueden abarcar más de una entidad federativa. El análisis se basa en la existencia de una correlación directa y positiva entre la actividad económica y la luminosidad observada desde el espacio. Los resultados indican que las áreas de mayor crecimiento se ubican en la región centro-norte del país, específicamente en Baja California Sur. En el periodo de análisis, existió una gran heterogeneidad en el grado de crecimiento económico entre los distintos destinos de playa en México, en donde se destacan dos factores, los destinos de playa orientados al turismo receptivo y los niveles de inseguridad en dichas zonas. Abstract We use the methodology developed by Henderson, Storeygard, and Weil (2012), which analyze satellite photographs to measure the economic performance of the main 15 beach tourist areas in Mexico for the 1993-2017 period, considering that these are sub-regions and many of them spread over more than one state's boundaries. The analysis is based on the fact that there is a direct and positive correlation between economic activity and luminosity observed from space. The results indicate that the areas of higher growth rates are in the central-northern region, specifically in Baja California Sur. The analysis period exhibits significant heterogeneity in the degree of economic growth among the different beach destinations in Mexico, where two factors stand out: beach destinations oriented to receptive tourism and levels of insecurity in these areas.