How to be a more responsible tourist in the Riviera Maya
Around the world you are seeing locals protesting tourists which is a response to over tourism. Sometimes it is not the number of tourists rather it is the effects of them. So how can we be responsible tourists and promote responsible tourism? Here are some specific things to keep in mind when visiting the Riviera Maya area of Mexico.
But what is responsible tourism?
We must understand that tourism as an economic activity brings many benefits to countries, states and peoples, encourages the care of the environment, supports cultural dissemination and social welfare to tourist spots. We all must be aware that each of our decisions has a impact on nature or the community. It is imperative that we ensure our way of traveling has a positive impact.
Inform yourself about the destination
Get to know the destination, not only its culture and history, but also what things might be endangered or environmentally sensitive. For example, three things that really damage the natural environment in our area are people touching and picking up starfish, touching coral and buying conch shells. Responsible guides should explain restrictions and the importance of not touching to taking these things. We often see people that are on tours not respecting nature which only leads to the death and decline of the reefs, the very thing that people want to come and see. Conch shells are even illegal to take on the plane when you leave, but you can find them for sale on 5th Avenue.
Look for sustainable certifications
Hotels you want to stay at, or tours can be labeled as sustainable or participate in sustainability efforts. Look for tours that are certified by reputable organizations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council or other recognized standards. One good way to choose tours is by going on small scale tours or even taking a private tour. Most private tours are run by small local companies. These tours can take you to small restaurants and out of the way places because you are only a few people. The guides are also a little better paid and trained.
Most hotels in the Rivera Maya are not that sustainable. There are however some large hotels that do participate in efforts to maintain the environment. Gran Velas, all of the Xcaret Hotels and Paradisus Hotels all are some of the top sustainable hotels in our area. Even by asking your travel agent or the hotel directly, this will tell local businesses that customers are interested in what hotels are doing to be sustainable.
Take care of water and electricity
We know that most people don’t want to think about this on vacation and most people like having their hotel room like an icebox while in the hot climate we have. However, there are some simple things you can do to ease the strain that tourists put on the local systems. Electricity in the Riviera Maya is already under stress. Sometimes this can lead to loss of power for a few hours.
Electricity is expensive in the Riviera Maya. For a condo the monthly electricity bill can be $200-$300 USD. This is why some rentals have a limit to included energy and charge for excessive use.
Here are a few simple things that tourists can do that will make a positive impact.
- Close curtains to keep the sun out in the day and maintain cooler your hotel room.
- Turn off or turn down air-condition when you go out for the day.
- Only have towels and sheets cleaned or changed when necessary.
Become a culture vulture
Explore and respect the culture of the place, stay interested in everything it stands for. The Riviera Maya is not just in name only; there are Mayan ruins and even places where you can hear the language still spoken today. While Playa Del Carmen is not exactly a rich cultural destination, a day trip can take you to places that resemble more of a living museum. Places like Valladolid, Espita and Izamal are all colonial towns you can visit that have museums, history and many local artisans.
Try some local foods
Playa Del Carmen has hundreds of restaurants, but many features international cuisines. Try some local Mexican restaurants or even some of the reginal foods like salbutes and panuchos. You can even take a local food tour which can make it easy to get off the beaten path and try some local food, all without the need to speak Spanish or use you map on your phone. Eating local foods not only gives you a taste of the area but often means eating things that have ingredients that have been grown or sources locally. This means less importation and transportation is needed to bring everything together for the meal.
Respect natural environments and marked paths
Some of the natural areas of the Rivera Maya are very environmentally sensitive. Cenotes, beaches, mangrove and reefs are all areas where to show care. Some simple things to remember are:
- Most cenotes ask guests to use biodegradable sunscreens or none at all. This helps keep the water clean. Cenotes are the ground water that people use. Even during your whole vacation, using reef safe and biodegradable sun creams are a good idea. For example, all of Xcaret’s parks require visitors to not use suncreams with some chemicals.
- The Riviera Maya’s beaches are turtle nesting areas. Unfortunately, as the Riviera Maya has grown, development has taken many of the natural areas away from turtles looks to lay eggs. Some areas in Akumal, Cozumel, Tulum, Xpu Ha, and Xcacel will have roped off parts of the beach. This means these areas are turtle nesting areas. Respect these areas by not walking in them or disturbing them.
- Some beaches will also have roped off newly planted areas or limited access to some natural areas, so they do not become impacted from many people using the area.
Leave the racism and classism at home
Having the proper mindset on vacation can keep some of these bad human tendencies at bay. Some people come to Mexico with preconceived ideas of Mexicans. While on vacation don’t think of the people working to support your vacation as servants. Treating people with respect goes a long way. Many that stay at all-inclusive resorts have gotten to know staff and even stay in contact with some of them. This kind of international friendship is what makes travel special and rewarding to both tourist and locals.
Avoid going to shows where animals are mistreated or remain caged
Dolphin shows and even a baby exotic animal place on 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen get protested often. But these have remained open. Recently the government said that this will be the last generation of dolphin shows. Pressure has been growing to close these types of places since one dolphin jumped from a pool and killed itself recently at a hotel complex that featured dolphins.
These types of contained animal attractions are only there because people pay to go see them. It might seem like a cool thing to see the animals, but the effects on their lives must be taken into account. There are many opportunities to see animals in their own environments. For example, you can go diving or snorkeling and see many tropical fish, turtles and even sharks if you dive deep enough. Near Calakmul ruins there are monkeys, and you can even hear howler monkeys. In Rio Lagartos and other spots along the Yucatan State side of the peninsula, you can see flamingos in their natural habitat. These are just a few examples of where to see local wildlife.
Try to buy handicrafts and products made in the destination
If you walk up and down 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen, you can find many things for sale that look Mexican. Some of these things are mass produced in factories or even in other countries. It is admittedly hard to buy things made in the Riviera Maya because there are not that many items locally produced. So, you can buy things made locally or semi locally from Mexico. We have a guide here about what are some good things to buy in Playa Del Carmen.
When you buy something locally made, you usually are getting the best price for it and encourage local artisans to keep working and others to keep learning the skills to produce things.
Become a responsible tourist and let’s make better places to live and better places to visit. This can be done all while preserving the culture and keeping the Riviera Maya and Mexico preserved for all the reasons that people come to visit the area.
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