by Abraham Hernandez of the Lightandnbsp;
abstract
Fortín de las Flores, Veracruz, is positioned as a tourist destination with innovation potential within the EHR (Event, Hotel and Restoration) sector, by transforming its natural, cultural and productive resources into differentiated tourist experiences. The combination of floriculture, coffee, historical heritage, nature and adventure activities allows to diversify the tourist offer and generate new opportunities for service providers and the local economy. This note analyzes how innovation based on experiences and the articulation of various attractions make Fortín de las Flores a representative case of regional tourism development.
A tourist experience that blooms in the High Mountains
Fortin de las Flores, Veracruz. – Just over 15 kilometers from Orizaba, in the region of the High Mountains of Veracruz, is Fortín de las Flores, a destination that has begun to stand out for a tourist proposal based on the integration of nature, culture, floriculture, coffee, history and adventure.
According to the Secretary of Tourism of Veracruz, Fortin was a pioneer in floriculture since the 19th century with more than 100 greenhouses, highlighting the production of gardenias and other ornamental species (Secretary of Tourism of the State of Veracruz [SECTUR], 2026). This productive tradition has become a tourist attraction through spaces such as the Floricultural Park, where visitors can meet and acquire various species, including orchids, anturuses and other ornamental plants.
The innovation of the destination is observed in the way in which traditional economic activities become experiences for the visitor. A prominent example is the Tatsugoro Museum, considered one of the main attractions of the municipality. The space houses more than 900 bonsai of approximately 120 different species, some with more than a century of antiquity. In addition to displaying the collection, the museum offers guided visits, workshops, conferences and activities related to the cultivation and care of the bonsai (Cultural Information System, 2023; Tatsugoro Museum, s.f.).
This transformation of a hobby and a private collection into a specialized tourist product represents a form of innovation based on the creation of experiences.The visitor not only observes a garden, knows a tradition, receives information, participates in activities and finds a unique attraction that differentiates Fortín from other destinations in the region.
The tourist offer has also been expanded through coffee-related experiences. The incorporation of parcours by coffee shops allows the visitor to know the productive process, to travel the crops and to understand the relationship between the territory and the beverage that forms part of the economic and cultural identity of Veracruz In this way, nature tourism and gastronomic tourism will be integrated to create experiences of greater value for the visitor (El Sol de Córdoba, 2024).
To this proposal are added the Metlac barracks, nature trails, the Ex-Hacienda of Monte Blanco, the Floricultura park and adventure activities, such as the parapent from the Cerro de las Antenas. The official tourist routes guide of Veracruz presents Fortin as a destination that combines rest, contact with nature, hiking, floriculture, coffee, historical heritage and adventure cities (SECTUR, 2025).
From the perspective of the EHR sector, this diversification is relevant because it allows to broaden the visitor’s profile. The destination primarily serves regional and national tourists interested in short-term escapes, nature, culture, gastronomy, photography, family activities and adventure tourism. It also has conditions to attract visitors specialized in floricultura, bosai, coffee and learning experiences.
Although there is no public visitors consolidation exclusively for Fortin de las Flores, the growth of the tourist offer and its incorporation into the state promotion routes evidences a regional positioning strategy. In addition, the strengthening of tourism activity in Veracruz has led to the growth of hotel and restaurant services, a sector that records 287,995 jobs in 2025, according to information from the State Tourism Secretariat (SECTUR, 2025).
The case of Fortín de las Flores demonstrates that innovation in tourism does not necessarily mean building large complexes or incorporating advanced technology. In this sense, innovation is manifested in the transformation of floriculture, coffee, heritage and nature into tourist products capable of generating economic, social and cultural value.
The future of the destination will depend on strengthening digital promotion, improving the link between hotels, restaurants, tour operators and local producers, as well as developing integrated routes that allow visitors to stay longer in the region. Fortín de las Flores has the necessary elements to consolidate itself as an innovative destination: identity, natural resources, productive tradition and a range of differentiated experiences.
In a region where tourism competition is growing, Fortín demonstrates that innovation can arise from what makes a territory unique.Their flowers, their coffee, their mountains and their history are not only resources: they are the basis of a tourist experience that continues to flourish.
The Tatsugoro Museum
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The Flower Farming Park
Closure of the antenna
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Barranca of the Metlac
