A Faint Voice Among Zih Crowds

I will refrain from labeling the most prevalent tourist group in ZIH during the holiday season as "lower middle-class". Those types of categories can be problematic at the best of times, and I have insufficient information to assess whether those predominantly arriving on buses are representative of Mexico's "lower middle-class". I prefer to call them National Tourists, which reflects the fact that they are Mexicans enjoying the splendor of their beautiful coast line.

It is wonderful that Mexicans are, in increasing numbers, getting to enjoy their coast. Having said that, I very much doubt that by any rational economic analysis, the increase in the quantity of National Tourists to ZIH is a trend that should be celebrated.

This tourist group places an enormous burden on the town's infrastructure. Beaches become virtually impassable. There is a noticeable increase in the quantity of garbage and effluent on the streets, which become clogged with buses in which many of these visitors appear to both arrive and sleep in while visiting town. Save for those who patronize the taco restaurants whose plastic chairs and tables periodically clog the pedestrian arteries, I would suggest this group of tourists presents a net economic loss to the town.

The foregoing poses two challenges. Firstly, there is the burden on infrastructure described above. Secondly, the over-crowding and the town's failure and/or inability to address the strain these crowds place on it will increasingly deter other tourists from spending time in ZIH in the winter, particularly any time around the (lengthy) Christmas holiday season and/or Semana Santa.

My sense is that the "responsible authorities" (the same ones that fail to consistently set and/or enforce rules relating to noise and/or chairs and tables in the streets) may not be receptive to constructive feedback aimed at addressing the issues the growth in National Tourists presents. With that said, I would suggest the best way to address the issue would be to enforce rules with respect to where and how many buses can park in town, and with respect to the use of those buses as rolling motels. Recognizing that these challenges are not going away, affordable (if not free...) shower and bathroom facilities should be constructed. The number of garbage cans should be increased, and the schedule for emptying them increased, and streets should be cleaned / washed down during peak times. Perhaps some of these costs could be funded by imposing modest charges on the buses that are the transportation mode of choice for many of these families.

Rob- I appreciate your analysis and suggestions as to this particular segment of the tourist industry and accompanying phenomena, especially as it is likely I will be spending quite a bit of time in Zihuatanejo in the upcoming years.
I wonder if you can take your analysis a bit further and give your thoughts on how tourism morphed from the way you describe it in the past to where it is now?
And also are there any relevant comparisons to other similar towns/resorts? that can help understand ways to approach the current situation.
The world is undergoing vast significant cultural/economic/political/climactic changes and perhaps what we are seeing here is a reflection/indication of this?