The Tides of the Tourism Complex at La Paz, Mexico A
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THE TIDES OF THE TOURISM COMPLEX AT LA PAZ, MEXICO A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science By Anthony George Dutton In Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Department: History December 2013 Fargo, North Dakota North Dakota State University Graduate School Title THE TIDES OF THE TOURISM COMPLEX AT LA PAZ, MEXICO By Anthony George Dutton The Supervisory Committee certifies that this disquisition complies with North Dakota State University’s regulations and meets the accepted standards for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: Bradley Benton Chair Mark Harvey Carol Pearson Eric Burin Tracy Barrett Approved: 12/06/13 John K. Cox Date Department Chair ABSTRACT By 1940, the outlying Mexican territory of Baja California Sur faced an uncertain future. The extractive industries of mining and pearling had collapsed in the southern areas of the peninsula, and the remaining economic activities of agriculture and fishing held little prospect for growing the population and fueling development. The solution adopted by local government, boosters, and the federal government was to promote international tourism. The rise of the tourism complex at La Paz represented a local response to the regional problems of economic underdevelopment and isolation, and its decline began with the intense federal involvement in funding the comprehensive tourist center at Los Cabos. From the 1940s through the late 1960s, La Paz tourism represented a sustainable model, rooted in place while maintaining and benefitting from the existing characteristics of Baja California Sur. Experiencing transition in the late 1960s and 1970s, Los Cabos underwent a transformation into a sun-and-sand mega- resort, and La Paz shifted to host a wave of national tourists attracted to the free trade zone. The region entered a phase of frenzied expansion of tourism infrastructure, but the inability to sustain this boom led to a bust in La Paz tourism in the early 1980s, and the regional dominance of Los Cabos. The decline of La Paz tourism during that period deepened as the national government gave priority to the development of Los Cabos, creating a tourist pole built along the same model as Cancún. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While a dissertation must be, by nature, the work of a single person, no such project could be completed without the support of others. I am in debt to the history faculty of North Dakota State University, for their unflagging support and tolerance of a long and meandering path to completion of this dissertation. To Dr. Jim Norris, I am grateful for his encouragement in pursuit of this topic, his guidance during my coursework, and his support as the chair of my committee for my comprehensive exams. Dr. Bradley Benton holds my eternal gratitude for stepping in as my advisor throughout the process of writing the dissertation, and for providing precisely the motivation and direction needed to complete it. It is no exaggeration to say that without him, these acknowledgements might never have been written. Outside of the NDSU faculty, Dr. Lori Ann Lahlum remains a great mentor and a dear friend, whose example and advice sustained me through the years of this work. In La Paz, I offer my gratitude to the staff of the Archivo Histórico Pablo L. Martínez, its director, Maestra Elizabeth Acosta Mendía, and the staff of the Archivo General del Estado de Baja California Sur. Their assistance in providing access to their collections was invaluable. I am grateful to the faculty and administration of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, and have benefitted from the regular interaction between the UABCS and Valley City State University. For his local knowledge, engaging anecdotes of La Paz, and lasting friendship, I remain in debt to José Alfredo Carballo. At VCSU, I thank Vice President Dr. Margaret Dahlberg and President Dr. Steven Shirley for their support for my studies over the years, even as I continued to teach full-time on the faculty. Dr. Steven King, of the Social Science Department, and Dr. Dahlberg, have been accommodating of the demands on my time in writing the dissertation, earning my gratitude. iv DEDICATION This dissertation I dedicate to my family, which has grown to span two continents and three countries. It has been my good fortune to be born into one excellent and supportive family, and to be adopted by two others. My parents, George and Bonnie Dutton, gave me the home and education that brought me to this point, and have long tolerated the slow but rewarding path that I have pursued. Words cannot express my gratitude to them, and I hope to reward their patience and support. Brother Greg and sister-in-law Yulia both beat me to the PhD., and served as inspirations along the way. In La Paz, my adoptive parents, Ramón Fischer Márquez and Diana Dorantes Salas, have been for nearly twenty years an unflagging source of support, guidance, and affection. Without them, I never would have found this topic, nor would I be the paceño I feel myself to be today. They, along with brother Oscar, cousin Sergio (Castañeda) aunts and uncles Lorenzo and Guina (Castañeda), and Adolfo and Maria Elena (Dorantes), hold special places in my heart. My newest parents, Battulga and Oyun, whom I found through marriage, have been the source of energy and excitement in completing this project, and I hope that I have done them proud. Mongolia is far afield from Baja California, but their support in this endeavor and their welcome into the family, along with brother Sergelenbayar and sister Munkhtuya, revitalized a tired doctoral student. Finally, I dedicate this dissertation to my wife, Enkhtuya. She is the inspiration for completing the project, which sat unfinished for three years. Without her, I have no doubt that I, and this dissertation, would still be languishing without direction. She remains the source of any success I have, and an inspiration every day of my life. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1. LA PAZ BEFORE TOURISM: SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA TO 1929 .. 31 CHAPTER 2. FOUNDATIONS OF TOURISM IN LA PAZ, 1929-1954 ................................. 81 CHAPTER 3. BOOSTERS, BUILDERS, AND TOURISM PLANNING 1954-1967 ............. 134 CHAPTER 4. NATIONAL VERSUS REGIONAL PLANNING, 1967-1976 ......................... 169 CHAPTER 5. THE SUCCESS OF LOS CABOS AND COLLAPSE OF LA PAZ TOURISM, 1976-1988 ............................................................................................................... 226 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 263 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 279 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Population change in mining districts, 1857-68 .............................................................. 65 2. Kilometers of roads in Mexico, 1936. ............................................................................. 93 3. Trans Mar de Cortés passengers per year on all routes ................................................. 149 4. Number of tourists nationally and economic impacts, 1968-1976 ................................ 210 5. Volume of tourists and rooms by region of Baja California Sur, 1973-1974 ................ 235 6. Annual average exchange rate of pesos to one U.S. dollar, 1976-1987 ........................ 242 7. Wholesale price index for Mexico City, 1973-1984 ...................................................... 244 8. Tourists in Baja California Sur by category, 1976-1987 ............................................... 247 9. Passenger movement at La Paz and Los Cabos airports, 1978-1984 ............................ 255 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Nuestra Señora de Loreto mission church ........................................................................ 35 2. Baja California Jesuit missions ......................................................................................... 43 3. Settlements in Baja California Sur .................................................................................... 56 4. Ruins at El Triunfo ........................................................................................................... 63 5. Smokestack at El Triunfo .................................................................................................. 66 6. Malecón with muelle fiscal in contemporary La Paz ....................................................... 88 7. Bay of La Paz with Hotel Los Arcos (white building) in background .......................... 125 8. Sites of