Développement touristique dans la péninsule du Yucatan : Mahahual, un village de pêcheurs en pleine mutation

Abstract

This article is based on a field made in Mahahual, in the Quintana Roo’s state in the south of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico between February and June 2018. Mahahual is a fishing village transforming due to the construction of the Costa Maya cruise ship port in the 2000s. We can observe a modification in the way of working since fishing pioneer families from the village are retraining into the tertiary sector to work in the tourism area. This modification changes the economic landscape of the coastal area. This article wants to bring to light the economic relationship between local people and tourism by asking the following question: How are the Costa Maya cruise ship port presence and increased tourism changing the working situation of the local people of Mahahual and altering the economic situation of the village? The economic influence of mass tourism development in Mahahual is the first point that we will develop. The cruise ship meets the criteria of mass tourism and is one of the fundamental parts of globalization. Indeed, the Costa Maya cruise ship port creates a form of « express tourism » which promotes an important and fast consumption of the different attractions of the village (as aquatic activities and “all you can eat restaurants”). Then, we will analyze how the fish trade has a national and international impact on the local fishing community. Cruise ship tourism plays a major role to that economy thanks to fishing activities and the presence of seafood restaurants. Thus, the analysis of the fishing production, distribution and consumption will help us understand the importance of fishing activities on tourism development.

Keywords

• globalization
• mass tourism
• fishing
• fish trade