At Mexico’s Tourist Resorts, Exploitation Is the Bottom Line
Every winter, thousands of North American tourists flock to sunny destinations in Mexico to be served by workers on poverty wages. The Mexican government has promoted tourism as a route out of poverty, but the profits from the industry are flowing away from local communities.
The Grand Velas resort in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. (Velas Nayarit Oceanfront Resort / flickr)
Every winter, thousands of Canadian and American visitors flee the cold for Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. Over the last fifteen years, the destination’s popularity has spawned a tourist enclave called Riviera Nayarit, north of Puerto Vallarta along the Banderas Bay.
Filled with luxury resorts, gated communities, and condo buildings, as well as world-class golf courses and other amenities, this destination was developed to appeal to international visitors — and investors. Between January and June of 2019, Riviera Nayarit received more than four hundred thousand international visitors — about 10 percent of Mexico’s total — and four out of five were from Canada and the United States.
According to its official website, people should consider moving to Riviera Nayarit “to improve your quality of life” while reducing the cost of living. But this is not how it plays out for the local workers, who earn low wages and lack protections. According to Numbeo, the monthly cost of living for a family of four in the Puerto Vallarta region is $1,657 USD, not including rent. In 2020, the monthly median salary in Riviera Nayarit was about $500 USD, less than one-third of that figure.
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