Abstract

MC COY CADOR, Christine Elizabeth  and  SOSA FERREIRA, Ana Pricila. Causes and effects of a unsustainable destination: Cancun’s Public Beaches case study. El periplo sustentable [online]. 2016, n.31, 00006. ISSN 1870-9036.

Problems resulting from disorderly urban development are one of the biggest drawbacks to which destinations are faced. In Cancun, Quintana Roo, that anarchy is reflected, among other things, in the constant loss of public beaches, not only by erosion problems, but by the manipulation of land.

In addition to the above there is a Hotel model which demands the concession to build on the seafront, as well as a private use of the area. This scheme has been replicated in other destinations, excluding the local population of enjoying for entertainment; however the hotel companies do not take responsibility for the maintenance when they are affected by extreme weather events and due to their vulnerability the problem is exacerbated by climate change.

This paper carries out an assessment of what was programed as public beaches according to the Master Plan of 1982, its evolution over time, to eventually compare it with what currently exists, after completing a survey of data on all public beaches and the revision of the successive plans of urban development. This survey shows that the resort has lost about 91% of its public beaches, which allows pointing out that the tourist carrying capacity has been exceeded.

Keywords : Cancún; public beaches; turistic carrying capacity; sustainability.

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