The environmental effects of Tourism in Cancun, Mexico

2015; National Environmental Science Academy; Volume: 6; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

ISSN

0976-4534

Autores

Nadia Sinai Padilla,

Tópico(s)

Cruise Tourism Development and Management

Resumo

Coastal tourism is an integral part of the Mexican economy and one fourth of the total national tourism revenue is generated alone in Cancun, Mexico. Once the area was an underdeveloped, snake-infested jungle in one of the poorest region of the nation, however, by last couple of decades Cancun has undergone a major transformation and each year over two million visitors visited, justifying Cancun as the world-class tourism destination. Although coastal tourism in Cancun has been greatly successful in generating foreign revenue, it has severely impacted a range of environmental aspects. The article provides the historic perspective about the rise of tourism in Cancun. The environmental effects of tourism are discussed in details and preventive steps towards sustainable eco-tourism have also been proposed. The fundamental causes of environmental effects of tourism are described, including changes in land-usage, weak regulatory enforcement, and an overall inefficiency of tourism and environmental policies.

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