Influence of insecurity on tourism competitiveness: the case of Mexico

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main impacts of criminal activity on the national tourism industry, using a documentary research method. The importance of tourism activity is relevant to Mexico due to its contribution to the gross domestic product and its contribution to the generation of income, jobs and taxes, economically benefiting companies, people and government; in addition to its traditional product of sun and beach, the country has an important natural and cultural heritage. However, despite being a neighbor of the United States of America, one of the main tourist-issuing markets in the world, the use of national tourism capacity can be considered limited, in part, by factors such as the great regional inequality and the low sustainability of its tourism operation, but, very especially, by the insecurity that affects large segments of the national territory. Drug trafficking in Mexico dates back more than a century, recording a long history in which authorities at various levels have allowed it and, at times, protected it; This primary criminal activity evolved into other fields of criminal activity, such as extortion, kidnapping and money laundering. Although the actions of criminals discourage the reception of international tourists, the work shows that the main victims of insecurity in tourism are not the visitors, but the local population.