Resumo: The implementation of activities in the outskirts of Mexico City is a phenomenon that has been taking place for more than a century. However, the dynamics of these activities have been modified by the social needs of space and by the effects of urban expansion. The study is based on the analysis of tourism territoriality and its urbanizing effects, phenomena that are visible in the urban-rural periphery of Mexico City, especially in the municipality of Xochimilco, which is experiencing urban, economic, social and environmental conflicts as a result of this phenomenon. This paper presents a historical review of the strategies that have driven tourism in Xochimilco, it concludes with a reflection on the future of the urban peripheries.