​As my local school system is heading into our Spring Break week (WHOO hoo), I thought this might be a good time address the topic I have been avoiding, the all-inclusive resort. The appeal of an all-inclusive resort vacation is understandable - a beautiful, sunny, and warm location with beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters with everything you could want in your vacation - food, lodging, drinks, activities, entertainment, kids and teens clubs, etc.. all included in an upfront cost. 

So… what is the problem?

By nature, an All-inclusive resort lures guests in with one price, discouraging guests from engaging in the local community (providing few-to-no opportunities for the tourist money to go directly into the local economy). Since most all-inclusive resorts are foreign-owned, the problems extend beyond.

• Local workers are sometimes exploited for cheap and menial labor barely earning liveable wages, while the best paid positions with the potential for job growth are often filled by expatriates. 
• The local biodiversity is often not considered in the construction of the resort. 
• The local infrastructure (specifically, water and waste removal) may not be able to handle the resort’s output. The local community may not have the resources that the resort requires, and the community, in turn, suffers. 
• Beaches are sometimes reserved for tourists only.
• The food caters to tourists’ pallets, often sourced outside of the community (and often shipped from another country). 
• Most egregious, some all-inclusive even promote themselves as “good” with tours to local schools and/or orphanages while children are in attendance disrupting the education and daily lives of the most vulnerable.  

Is every All-Inclusive Resort equally bad? No. I wrote about Xcaret (click to be directed to that blog post) in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico several weeks ago as a possible exception in some respects. Of course, nothing is perfect, but as the awareness of the potential pitfalls of the all-inclusive market has become common knowledge, other resorts are also trying make strides in making their offerings more responsible to their home communities.  As a consumer who would like to make the conscious effort to travel responsibly, consider the following before booking that all-inclusive vacation:

• Who owns the accommodations? What is the origin of the ownership? (To what country are the profits going?). Best option would be a locally owned property.
• How is the local community involved in their presence, and does the resort contribute to that community by helping with local infrastructure, etc..(Water availability, waste removal, sewage, etc..)? 
• Does this resort provide jobs with career growth potential to residents of the local community?  ..beyond menial labor. 
• Does the resort contract with local tour providers and encourage guests to visit local establishments?
• Do they source locally for food, service, and goods?
• Do they invite local artisans and service providers on property? 
• Have they worked with experts to consider the unique biodiversity of the region in architecture and landscaping? (Resorts that take this seriously advertise this fact and often gain various accreditations.)

​Did you find this helpful? Have you experienced any all-inclusive resorts that you think may be an exception?

While lounging at a local beach in Costa Maya, a vendor walked by offering a massage to a tourist  sitting an audible distance from us. I couldn’t see the card she presented  with the pricing to know any of the details of her offerings, but the man indignantly responded with outrage at the audacity of her asking such a price claiming that he could get a cheaper massage back at home. He was very rude in both his tone and demeanor. I’m proud to say that my teenage son, who was also present to witness this exchange, shot me a look to express his disgust in this man’s response. After the tense exchange, the woman sheepishly walked away, and this man meandered over to my son and me. 

He grumbled, “Can you believe these people? They just keep trying to swindle us.” 

I don’t think as quickly on my feet as I’d like to during instances such as these, so feeling dumbstruck, I half smiled hoping to portray disinterest in whatever he wanted to express. 

He continued, “We usually book a resort in the hotel zone. It’s nice over there.”  

For those who don’t know, the hotel zone of Cancun is comprised of mostly foreign-owned, all-inclusive resorts with very limited (if any) exposure to Mexico and the cultre. 

I don’t remember what happened after this, but of course, this encounter developed into a very meaningful conversation with my kids about our role as global citizens.
What does it mean to travel? 
What do we want to gain from traveling?
How do we best respect the people and places we visit? 
How can we travel for good? 

According to the Center for International Development, “10.4% of the world’s GDP and 7% of the world’s total exports come from tourism,” an industry worth 1.1 trillion USD.  If there is anything that we - as citizens of the good ole USA - know too well, is that the “bottom line” is priority number one, above the well-being of people and places. It’s true that our world needs tourism. We learned this when tourism came to a screeching halt in 2020. We need to make sure that our travel is for good. 

I’m a little over 3 years into delving headfirst into responsible / ethical / conscientious travel, and I’ve learned that, true, some people simply don’t care. I have been told this by some potential clients that they “don’t care about that” when I have attempted to explain the negative impact of some types of tourism. BUT most people do not know, and they don’t understand what truly unique and authentic experiences that are available for the traveler at heart. This is how my passion has developed - to help people who do care and have an adventurous spirit find authentic and unique experiences. 

Anyway... I found this infographic interesting. Not to put labels out there, but there really are different vacation goals and mindsets. 

What do you think?

Are you a tourist or a traveler?