Responsible tourism in Mexico

We think that Donald Trump’s recent disgusting comments about Mexican people are not only racist and irresponsible but also totally misinformed. Mexico is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. You can’t just throw them into one ‘Mexican’ box, Mr Trump. Their rich history means that there are 60 different indigenous groups in Mexico, and just as many languages. The most prolific are Nahuatl, Yucatec (Maya), Zapotec and Mixtec. For most, nature, earth and landscape are the pillars of their belief systems, and being stewards of the earth is a responsibility they take seriously, something from which we, and of course, Mr Trump, can gain a wealth of knowledge. The white tailed deer, for example, is for the Huichol Indians, who live in Mexico’s Sierra Madre, sacred. In 1988 they were awarded the National Ecology Prize of Mexico for their work towards repopulating the Sierra Madre with their beloved creature.

What you can do
Read up on and support the various indigenous peoples living in the parts of Mexico you plan to visit. Do not put them in a box or behind a metaphorical ‘wall’, otherwise you are feeding the Trump-esque machine of meanness. The Minority Rights website is an excellent starting point.  You may also want to find out more about the campaign to save the Sierra Madre region for the people who have protected it for generations. You can read more at The Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and the Traditional Arts.

The Huichol Center: A model for cultural survival from David H. Rose on Vimeo.

From the private enclaves of Puerto Vallarta to full on concrete Cancún, Mexico is famous for its all inclusive deals. For the most part, these vacations have little or no regard for local culture or the regional economy as it is usually a foreign company that owns the hotel, airline, ground transport and often excursion providers. Rather than condemning them all outright, at Responsible Travel we do believe that all inclusive vacation companies have the potential to be a lot more responsible and that indeed, some are taking baby steps to doing so. From a travel point of view, what most people don’t know is that all-inclusives aren’t always the cheapest way to vacation in Mexico, if you just know where to look.

What you can do
Seek out a fairer way to leave your mark on Mexico and travel with a responsible tourism vacation company. And if you want to really push the envelope, you could always contact the all inclusive resorts and ask what their responsible tourism policies are, if they source food locally, employ locally, pay a living wage, offer cultural tours with local guides… the list goes on. After all, most of these businesses won’t wake up and smell the Fairtrade coffee until tourists actually start demanding to see change.

Xel-Há is a celebrated eco resort in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, with a sustainable tourism certification, that has all sorts of exciting adventures in nature. Tubing down the river, ziplining through the jungle. All cool. All fun. But they also offer the chance to swim with dolphins. Dolphins that are trained to jump and perform, and are enclosed so that you can swim with them. The irony is that so many people believe that interacting with animals in this way IS eco. That it is kind to animals, that it helps teach you about conservation and animal welfare. When really, in our opinion, this is hugely harmful to cetaceans. They are naturally sociable creatures, but out in the ocean, in the wild, and not through being cuddled, kissed and canoodled by a human.

If you do want to see dolphins and whales in the wild, then Mexico is a wonderful place to do so, especially on the Baja California Peninsula, where whales come in their droves between the months of February and April. Most whale and dolphin watching companies act responsibly, but don’t book with one that doesn’t show signs of stringent conservation and animal welfare practices. The focus of the trip should be on education rather than sensation and a responsible company will have details of expert guides on their website, their experience and qualifications. An environmentally aware guide will give a detailed talk before and during the trip, for example. Operators that replace guides with pre-recorded talks are only interested in cutting costs rather than caring for cetaceans. They might charge less for their service but, for a once in a lifetime experience, do you really want the no frills-no fairness experience?

Read more about issues regarding Dolphin and Whale watching in our travel guides for more details. And support the work of organisations like Born Free Foundation, and the World Cetacean Alliance. The latter is a global partnership which was formed to protect the world's cetaceans from all sorts of threats, and an organisation that really gets whales, rather than just wanting to get money out of whales. And in general, unless very well supervised, don’t swim with dolphins.

Buying coral is generally illegal, although black coral harvesting is still legal in Mexico. It should display the government label saying that it comes from a licenced source, although many are faked. Best policy all round is to just leave coral where it belongs. In the water. Tortoise shell jewellery or decorative goods are illegal, as they are made from the shells of sea turtles. Don’t buy anything made from fur or feathers, either. Seeing sea turtles is very popular in Mexico, particularly on the Yucatán Peninsula, but also on the Baja Peninsula. Check that any organised trips are tied in with a marine conservation initiative. Tips are greatly appreciated – 10 percent is standard in good restaurants; otherwise, just round up your bill and leave the change.

Vicky Rodford from our leading supplier of responsible vacations in Mexico, Intrepid Travel: “Some people can be a little bit afraid because they see stories about Mexican gang violence on the news. But Mexico is a very big country, and as an organised tour operator we stay away from areas with documented issues. One of the great things about traveling in small groups is that it does give that safety layer, especially for someone who doesn’t necessarily want to go somewhere where they don’t speak the language, who might be traveling on their own, or who has never been there before. The security of the small group and having a local leader who imparts their knowledge, lets you know how to get to places, and keeps an eye out for you, is a great plus point.”