The ugly truth

​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?