The Costa Maya: Evolution of a Touristic Landscape
The Costa Maya is a vernacular coastal region of southeastern Quintana Roo (Mexico) and adjacent Ambergris Cay, Belize. As Mexico’s Caribbean coast suffered many growth pains associated with mass tourism development in Cancun and along the Riviera Maya, the Costa Maya by contrast was projected for m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Université des Antilles
2009-11-01
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| Series: | Études Caribéennes |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/3867 |
| Summary: | The Costa Maya is a vernacular coastal region of southeastern Quintana Roo (Mexico) and adjacent Ambergris Cay, Belize. As Mexico’s Caribbean coast suffered many growth pains associated with mass tourism development in Cancun and along the Riviera Maya, the Costa Maya by contrast was projected for more sustainable development including low-density housing and ecotourism. Development so far has been concentrated in Puerto Costa Maya, where a cruise ship pier and terminal were built in 2001. The nearby beach resort (balneario) of Majahual became dependent upon the 10-12 shiploads of tourists that descended upon it every week. In spite of big development plans, the more remote beaches of the Costa Maya cater to fewer, but well-heeled ecotourists and dive tourists. Hurricane Dean made landfall in August 2007 as a category-5 storm, and economic recovery only began in late 2008 when the cruise ship pier re-opened and Majahual rebuilt. As of late 2009, the cruise-ship traffic had still not recovered to pre-Dean levels, and a global recession coupled with swine-flu and drug violence scares has lowered U.S. tourism to Mexico. To what degree new tourism infrastructure such as an international airport at Tulum, a proposed causeway from Chetumal to the beach, and a new resort complex at Xahuayxel will stimulate tourism on the Mexican Costa Maya and eventually lead to a coastal highway link with San Pedro, Belize is still unknown. |
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| ISSN: | 1779-0980 1961-859X |