Tourism facing the challenge of recurring natural hazards: a view from Cancún

• Published in: Investigaciones geográficas : boletín del Instituto de Geografía no. 78
• Main Author: Frank Babinger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 01.07.2012
• Subjects: Cancún; huracanes; ocupación del territorio; riesgos naturales; Turismo
• ISSN: 0188-4611; 2448-7279
• DOI: 10.14350/rig.32471

This article discusses the duality between economic development based on tourism and the impact of land occupation at the expense of an environment that includes specific natural hazards. The transformation of coastal areas to be occupied by tourism is one of the serious problems which are not taken into account when planning the activity. Cancún is a paradigmatic model in which an explosive growth in tourists, residents and tourist buildings has led to the massive occupation of a coastal area historically and currently affected by tropical storms and hurricanes. The result is a clear increase in risk exposure and vulnerability. This space colonization by tourism and the impacts of hurricanes have a direct impact on the hotels and housing developments, which call into question the maintenance of tourism in the future.