Three Generations of International Tourist Resorts in Mexico
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
310901_04_10_Smith.qxd 23.11.2008 19:39 Uhr Seite 4 JEFFREY S. SMITH Three Generations of International Tourist Resorts in Mexico As the world’s leading service sector, interna- tourists’ imagination. Five decades 2007). The ongoing success tional tourism offers developing countries later international tourism has Mexico enjoys, however, masks become one of Mexico’s leading the challenges and difficulties the opportunities for lucrative business investment, sources of foreign currency along country’s tourism industry has a major source for foreign currency, and the with petroleum exports, assembly endured. A look back at the evolu- creation of jobs. Mexico’s leading position manufacturing, and remittances. tion of tourism in Mexico over the among Latin American and Caribbean interna- Since the mid-1990s over 20 mil- past 50 years reveals three distinct lion international tourists have generations of coastal tourist re- tional tourist destinations rests largely on its visited Mexico each year (ca. 90 % sorts targeted to foreign visitors. concerted efforts to capitalize on the aesthetic from U.S. and Canada). In 2006 appeal of its coastal locations. Over the last international tourism generated Evolution of international 50 years Mexico has witnessed three genera- US$ 12.1 billion in revenue and employed roughly one out of seaside tourism in Mexico tions of seaside resorts catering to internation- every ten workers in the country In 1927 the Mexican government al visitors. The lessons learned by the Mexican (Clancy 2001, WTO 2007). took its first step in tourism devel- government should be considered by other The transformation of Mexico’s opment when it built the “High- countries developing large-scale coastal tourism industry did not occur way of the Sun” linking Mexico by happenstance (Clancy 2001). City with the new seaside resort of tourism. Since 1974 most of the country’s Acapulco (Nolan and Nolan 1988, tourism promotion and develop- Zaragoza and Rojas 2000). Their ment has rested in the hands of intention was to diffuse tourism s recent as the 1960s, Mexico did the federal government who away from the capital city and not rank among the world’s lead- ensures that their newest coastal redirect it toward the Pacific coast. ing international tourist destina- resorts are of the highest quality. Beyond this project, tourism in tions. Other than cultural heritage This has consistently ranked Mexi- Mexico prior to the 1940s can best A sites around Mexico City and the co among the top ten international be described as an unplanned and beaches in Acapulco and Ver- tourist destinations in the world largely ignored part of the national acruz, little else captured foreign over the past fifteen years (WTO economy (Gladstone 2005). In the 1930s, for example, most interna- tional tourists who visited Mexico originated in the U.S. and spent the bulk of their time in one of lizensiert f¨urF Redaktion am 22.10.2012 the border towns. In these early years, the biggest factor impacting Mexican tourism was its proximity to the U.S. (Stronge and Redman 1982, Clancy 2001). Until 1970, over 60 % of Mexico’s foreign tourists arrived via ground trans- portation (Gladstone 2005). Following World War II, inter- national tourism in Mexico began a slow but protracted growth. With Europe heavily damaged, Mexico sought to become an alternative destination for the in- creasingly affluent U.S. and Cana- dian citizens (Nolan and Nolan 1988, Clancy 2001). Realizing that the greatest impediment to increased international tourism Photos: J.S. Smith was the underdeveloped trans- Photo 1: Hotel zone in Ixtapa, Mexico portation infrastructure, Mexican 4 Geographische Rundschau International Edition Vol. 5, No. 1/2009 lizensiert f¨urF Redaktion am 22.10.2012 310901_04_10_Smith.qxd 23.11.2008 19:39 Uhr Seite 5 Figure 1: Map of Mexico’s international tourist resorts Cartography: J.S. Smith President Miguel Aleman Velasco foundation of places like Acapul- Greenpeace reported that Puerto (1946–1952) allocated federal co, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Vallarta emitted 49,248 cbm3 funds to build a network of roads Cozumel changed to better accom- (cubic meters) of wastewater into and airports (Zaragoza and Rojas modate foreign visitors. For exam- surrounding Banderas Bay daily 2000, Clancy 2001). When Holly- ple, with an infusion of money and fecal bacteria levels are wood’s jet setting crowd began from domestic business investors, sixteen times higher than World lizensiert f¨urF Redaktion am 22.10.2012 arriving in the 1950s, Acapulco the calm, clear waters teaming Health Organization (WHO) became known as the first interna- with fish around Cozumel quickly standards (FNS 2007b). tional resort dependent upon air- led to Mexico’s largest island being Because of so many negative borne tourists (Turner and Ash reputed as one of the world’s top consequences associated with 1975). Furthermore, as diplomatic five scuba diving destinations. For spontaneous large-scale tourism, relations between the U.S. and the most part, there was no co- the reputation of nearly all first Cuba deteriorated in the early ordinated effort by local or federal generation resorts has been tar- 1960s, Mexico’s popularity among governments to anticipate or nished. Many of these interna- U.S. citizens increased. address issues accompanying in- tional destinations are reinventing ternational tourism development. themselves to stay competitive. As a result, by the 1970s many The island of Cozumel, for exam- Mexico’s First Generation of these first generation destina- ple, has become a leading port- resorts tions (especially Acapulco) were of-call for the cruise ship industry Blessed with spectacular scenery, suffering under the pressures of hosting 35 vessels each week a warm climate, and attractive largely unplanned and uncon- during the high season (November beaches, most of Mexico’s first trolled growth. Concerns include to January). Acapulco has re- generation international tourist intense overcrowding, inadequate sponded with dramatic renovation destinations were former fishing housing, poor infrastructure, projects. In both 2006 and 2007 villages (Figure 1). As local busi- severe air and water pollution, it outpaced all other Mexican ness interests realized tourism’s and extensive environmental coastal locations in tourism devel- income potential, the economic degradation. In 2007, for example, opment with most of the projects Geographische Rundschau International Edition Vol. 5, No. 1/2009 5 lizensiert f¨urF Redaktion am 22.10.2012 310901_04_10_Smith.qxd 23.11.2008 19:39 Uhr Seite 6 JEFFREY S. SMITH Three Generations of International Tourist Resorts in Mexico featuring gated, all-inclusive Acapulco (Call 2001). Thus, begin- country’s total foreign currency hotels that enable foreign visitors ning in the early 1970s interna- earned via tourism (Gladstone to avoid the problems that plague tional tourism in Mexico entered 2005). most of the city. Although each a new era. Unfortunately in the late 1990s of these destinations continues to Under FONATUR’s careful Cancún began experiencing some appeal to vacationers, their popu- scrutiny and using the latest in of the same unattractive qualities larity has waned. Foreign tourists, computer tourism research, that have plagued Acapulco and in particular, have turned to Cancún emerged as the first of many other first generation resorts. Mexico’s second generation of Mexico’s second generation Cancún’s unabated expansion tourist resorts. resorts (Dunphy 1972; Figure 1). became overwhelming and its in- With an initial loan of US$ 21.5 frastructure was sorely overtaxed. million from the Inter-American FONATUR responded by investing Mexico’s Second Generation Development Bank (Clancy 2001), considerable capital into cleaning resorts Cancún’s location possessed up the resort’s tarnished image In 1961 the Mexican government many of the desired qualities for with renovation and new con- established PRONAF (Programa a luxury resort. Moreover, the struction projects. Nactional Fronterizo – National Mexican government felt its place- In October 2005 however, Border Program) to improve the ment on the Yucatan Peninsula Hurricane “Wilma” stalled over seedy image of the country’s would allow it to compete with Cancún for nearly 48 hours caus- border towns (Arreola and Curtis tourism in the Caribbean. In the ing over US$ 2 billion in damages 1993). Federal funds and special mid 1970s international tourists to the resort’s infrastructure. financial incentives prompted began arriving and by 1986 FONATUR officials saw this as a public beautification projects Cancún was drawing more foreign blessing in disguise; the natural throughout the border region, but visitors annually than Acapulco disaster provided a rare opportuni- the bulk of the monies were in- (Nolan and Nolan 1988, Clancy ty to completely rebuild Cancún vested in the tourist gateway cities 2001). and enhance its long term interna- of Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, and As the Mexican government’s tional appeal. The Mexican gov- Nogales (Figure 1). For the first first state-planned mega-resort, ernment, for example, spent US$ time federal tourism planning every detail in Cancún was 20 million to double the width of proved to be a lucrative source painstakingly considered. Erd- the beaches as it brought back the of income for Mexico. mann Gormsen (1982) reports sand that had washed away. Re- Galvanized by PRONAF’s that in the beginning Cancún was markably, by the summer of 2006, success, in the mid-1960s Banco a planned city for both tourists the rebuilt resort was once again de Mexico (Bank of Mexico) creat- and residents alike. FONATUR welcoming visitors. ed INFRATUR (Fondo de Promo- wanted workers to feel they were Cancún is only one of ción de Infraestructura Turística – an important part of Cancún’s FONATUR’s five master-planned National Fund for Promoting success so they would provide resorts intended to serve as inter- Tourism Infrastructure) and by a pleasing atmosphere for foreign national tourist “growth poles” 1968 the agency released the re- tourists (Dunphy 1972).