BajaNomad

Tourism no longer ‘a source of excessive profits,’ minister warns

gnukid - 6-16-2020 at 10:03 AM

Mexico is a country rich in natural resources with a strong work ethic, if instead of focusing on services to fickle tourists, Mexico should focus on engineering, manufacturing, technology, and primarily innovation, for example water filtration, desalination, plumbing, energy efficiency, solar, robotic manufacturing. Mexico could be a leader in Making Stuff, instead of being dependent on providing low costs tourism services to a fickle market. Comparatively, USA has innovation buy often lacks the labor and hard working mentality of Mexico. This moment is a great opportunity to pivot, invest energy and time into education, invest into innovation and building manufacturing.

Hook - 6-16-2020 at 01:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  
Mexico is a country rich in natural resources with a strong work ethic, if instead of focusing on services to fickle tourists, Mexico should focus on engineering, manufacturing, technology, and primarily innovation, for example water filtration, desalination, plumbing, energy efficiency, solar, robotic manufacturing. Mexico could be a leader in Making Stuff, instead of being dependent on providing low costs tourism services to a fickle market. Comparatively, USA has innovation buy often lacks the labor and hard working mentality of Mexico. This moment is a great opportunity to pivot, invest energy and time into education, invest into innovation and building manufacturing.



Mexico was all set to be that, in the years leading up to NAFTA. Then, it became apparent to multinationals that the Far East, most notably China, could produce goods for even less than Mexico could. Their workforce was better skilled and educated, too. And the Asian governments were far better at guaranteeing a safer and more secure environment for their investments in capital on the ground.

Asia ended up doing a much better job of spreading their new-found wealth among their citizens. Just look at all the Asian tourists you now see, if you travel internationally.

Mexico's poverty rate, even with the increases in industrial investment and tourism from NAFTA, continues to increase. I can't imagine how much that has accelerated, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Mexico could have had BOTH industry and tourism, at one time.

Imagine, for a moment, that it actually became more attractive to ship goods by freighter across several thousand miles of ocean, than pass goods across a common border.

At this point, many of Mexico's major tourism areas (no, not the places that Nomads go to, in Baja) are some of the most insecure areas in Mexico. In the world.

Mexico is TOO DEPENDENT upon oil dollars to fund the kind of reworking of the economy that is needed. Oil's decline has begun, and it will only accelerate.

mtgoat666 - 6-16-2020 at 01:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  
Mexico is a country rich in natural resources with a strong work ethic, if instead of focusing on services to fickle tourists, Mexico should focus on engineering, manufacturing, technology, and primarily innovation, for example water filtration, desalination, plumbing, energy efficiency, solar, robotic manufacturing. Mexico could be a leader in Making Stuff, instead of being dependent on providing low costs tourism services to a fickle market. Comparatively, USA has innovation buy often lacks the labor and hard working mentality of Mexico. This moment is a great opportunity to pivot, invest energy and time into education, invest into innovation and building manufacturing.



I think Mexico's economy is pretty diverse, they are focusing on many things. You might not see this in BCS,... as BCS is a small part of mexico and is rural and has less diverse economy.
Go to mainland and border zones, seems like economy is not "focusing on services to fickle tourists."

Not sure why you say Mexico is not "a leader in Making Stuff," as they seem to have pretty large manufacturing sector...

paranewbi - 6-17-2020 at 04:35 AM

gnukid quote;

"Mexico could be a leader in Making Stuff, instead of being dependent on providing low costs tourism services to a fickle market. "Comparatively, USA has innovation buy (sic) often lacks the labor and hard working mentality of Mexico." This moment is a great opportunity to pivot, invest energy and time into education, invest into innovation and building manufacturing.""

First... I agree. BUT... aren't you advising that following the model of the US workforce which WAS hardworking fifty years ago and perhaps became less so due to prosperity of hard work; Would lead Mexico on a path that eventually produces a society that is just as 'less so' in their success/prosperity?

Once again, do we bemoan the US model and simultaneously hold it up for the benefit of others?

And doesn't that just condemn them to being the providers of our desired largess?

Give us tourism services or give us full shelves at Walmart.


[Edited on 6-17-2020 by paranewbi]

Alm - 6-17-2020 at 05:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook  

Asia ended up doing a much better job of spreading their new-found wealth among their citizens. Just look at all the Asian tourists you now see, if you travel internationally.

Not sure about more equal distribution of wealth. For every Chinese tourist there is a thousand(s?) who can't afford it. Absolute number of Chinese tourists is impressive but so is their total population.

Besides, they are very curious - out of necessity, mind you. Thousand years old survival through awareness. Living with conviction that you neighbor is eating the grain of rice that he's stolen from you. Chinese who's just met you would ask a dozen questions but don't you think for even a second that he is interested in you because likes you and want to be your friend - nope. He is collecting info. They travel domestically - as tourists - in huge numbers too. Very curious. And very obnoxious.