Characterization of Cultural and Creative Industries: The Case of Tijuana-Ensenada, B.C.

Since the latter half of the 20th century, the concepts of cultural industry and creative economies have become increasingly prominent in specialized literature and its popular dissemination. Two reasons explain this: first, the role played by the intangibles of knowledge and creativity in these industries and the broader economy, and second, the importance of these industries for economic and social development in many regions. In Mexico, the last two decades have begun to see a cultural and creative pole emerge in the cities of Ensenada and Tijuana, in Baja California. First came the region’s wine industry, which boasts a history going back two centuries. This was later coupled with the development of local gastronomy, with Ensenada named UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2015. Lastly, a substantial craft beer industry has become established in Baja California’s most populated areas, driven by the boom in the industry in California, USA. Thus, Ensenada-Tijuana has the potential to become a cultural and creative pole, but there is insufficient information available to estimate this potential. Mapping the CCIs in the region is therefore a considerable challenge. Against this backdrop, this research offers an initial situational analysis of the ecosystem of creative industries in Ensenada and Tijuana, Mexico, with a focus on youth inclusion processes. The industry mapping methodology proposed by Colombia’s National Consulting Center (CNC) (2019) was used as the basis to design a survey for young creatives, which included 15 items aimed at identifying the main areas of interest and the creative disciplines that young people are engaged in, as well as the challenges and opportunities they encounter in these industries. This project constitutes an initial characterization of the CCIs in the cities of Ensenada and Tijuana, classifying the young creatives in this ecosystem and identifying the primary economic activities in the sector.