Occupation of the coast in resort towns in Mexico [Ocupación del territorio litoral en ciudades turísticas de México]

Abstract

This paper presents the process of occupation of the coastal tourist cities in Mexico, dynamic favored by the presence of more than six thousand miles of beach distributed in both the Pacific and the Atlantic coast. The consolidation of these areas as touristic destinations is due to the interaction of three imaginaries: 1) the political and institutional momentum; 2) supply generated by the tourist service providers; and, 3) satisfaction of the demand of tourists. Thereby, the coastal area is urbanized for tourism excluding the resident population from its use. To review the occupation of coastal territories in the Mexican case five tourist cities were assessed; two corresponding to traditional destinations and the others to Integrally Planned Center -IPC-. Subsequently, detailing the process in Puerto Vallarta, where is this particular process of spatial structuring. The findings suggest that the occupation in the coastline of Mexican tourist destinations has been done without assessing the richness of the natural environment or the cultural context, generating significant spatial and social implications. Therefore, it is suggested to promote a territorial management for harmonizing the coastal tourism resources by incorporating sustainability criteria.