[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Spring Break has come and gone and chances are many U students spent their break on the warm sunny beaches of Cancún. Those lucky enough to enjoy Cancún likely found they were far from alone in their spring break choice. According to the Los Angeles Times, online travel retailers conducted a survey among prospective spring breakers and found that Cancún was the destination of choice. While that may mean that it was a popular choice, it doesn’t necessarily always translate to a good choice, depending on the type of vacation one is looking for. Cancún is a victim of the rise of mainstream tourism and an example of how big business has spoiled what was once a beautiful and serene vacation spot.

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Although there are those who love the hustle and bustle of Cancún and go specifically for the wild parties fueled by too much sun and liquor, there is a downside to its popularity. What was once a stunningly beautiful beach paradise has been completely transformed by crowds of tourists and the cement and steel infrastructure. The once postcard-perfect beaches are instead packed with drunk, sun-kissed tourists sleeping off their hangovers in the sand.

The big business of mainstream tourism in Cancún has the cash to flex its advertising muscle and lure hordes of tourists with the promise of what once was an exotic beach location but is now basically Las Vegas with a beach. It would be one thing if Cancún was the lone victim of this corporate takeover, but sadly, this phenomenon has spread throughout the Yucatán Peninsula. Savvy tourists used to be able to skip the bright lights and crowds for the nearly crowd-free beaches of nearby Playa de Carmen, but over the last 20 years, mainstream tourism has turned it into a smaller version of Cancún.

Five years ago I stumbled upon the serene paradise of Tulum, a mere 40 minutes south of Playa de Carmen. I immediately fell in love with its nearly empty, white sandy beaches and the carefully constructed small hotels. For three years I enjoyed the glory of the Yucatán as it was intended, until corporate mainstream tourism clutched the beaches of Tulum in its vise-like grasp and forced it to give up its secret. I was forced yet again to seek out a destination that retained the unique charm and beauty of the region.

The last few years I have spent my winter getaways on the picturesque beaches of the small fishing village of Isla Holbox, which has thus far managed to retain all the natural beauty of the Yucatán while still maintaining an infrastructure that allows for tourism. While it can be argued that mainstream tourism makes the world accessible to the average traveler, it also leaves a footprint so large that it often crushes the beauty of the destination it inhabits.

There needs to be a focus on maintaining a balance between the accessibility of tourism and preserving the natural beauty of tourist regions. Our national parks system has developed an infrastructure that allows the average tourist access to places like Arches and Canyonlands without destroying the natural beauty which makes those places worth visiting in the first place. Part of the reason for this is that our national parks system is focused on the environment rather than profit. Capitalism may be great when it comes to having the latest and greatest new thing, but when it comes to retaining the natural beauty of some of the most exotic locales around the world, it will always fall short.

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