tourism industry lack the motivation for self-improvement, feeling that their efforts
will ultimately be without reward. For the majority of these employees, work is a
necessity to afford basic food, housing and medical care; hence, there is scant
interest in job-related self-improvement, and those training courses that are provided
are usually attended through obligation (Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero 2014).
To make matters worse, those that do exhibit potential appear to be leaving
Acapulco for other Mexican destinations in search of a higher salary, better tips
and greater opportunities for progression:
There is a flood of talent is leaving Acapulco. Youngsters who can’t develop locally go to
other destinations. They go to Cancun, Riviera Maya, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta. This is a
problem we have. (Participant 8, personal communication, February 24, 2016)
At the same time, a large proportion of Acapulco’s tourism businesses are guilty
of failing to implement policies designed to improve employees’ motivation and
work skills. Often, training courses are provided solely to meet legal requirements,
rather than as an investment to improve the business’s human capital. Combined
with the pessimistic attitude of many employees, this results in a situation in which
neither the business nor the employees appear to reap any significant benefits from
such activities and the general malaise enveloping the workforce continues to
prevail.
4.9.2.4 Environmental Capital
Acapulco’s natural capital is the destination’s greatest resource, having served as its
selling point for decades. The Bay of Santa Lucia (or Acapulco Bay) and surrounding mountainous rainforests offer a memorable view, while the beach continues to be
the main attraction for the sun, sea and sand segment. Meanwhile, the nearby
lagoons of Tres Palos and Coyuca, Veladero National Park and Roqueta Island
add to the overall tropical ambience of the destination. Unfortunately, this abundance of environmental capital is diminished by the sight of garbage strewn
throughout the streets and the beach and also the contamination of the sea with
sewage and toxic metals. Though visual pollution was becoming evident during
Acapulco’s golden era, it became a significant problem during the 1980s, contributing to the initial decline of international tourism, as explained by Valenzuela
(2008, p. 217): ‘They began to notice the rapid transformation of the natural and
urban landscape, increasing garbage in streets, beaches and also the pollution of the
bay. . .’. Those guilty of illegal waste disposal include businesses, hotels, tourists and
local residents. A particular problem emanates from the shanty towns which have
developed in the surrounding hills as garbage accumulates around these settlements
and is swept to the beach and sea by way of several rivers, especially during the rainy
season (Dimas et al. 2015).
Furthermore, the built environment also adds to the sense of environmental
decay. The abundance of high-rise hotels situated along the Golden Zone’s seafront
obstructs the view from the coast road, while the failure of the owners to maintain the
52
M. Speakman and A. D. Garay
will ultimately be without reward. For the majority of these employees, work is a
necessity to afford basic food, housing and medical care; hence, there is scant
interest in job-related self-improvement, and those training courses that are provided
are usually attended through obligation (Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero 2014).
To make matters worse, those that do exhibit potential appear to be leaving
Acapulco for other Mexican destinations in search of a higher salary, better tips
and greater opportunities for progression:
There is a flood of talent is leaving Acapulco. Youngsters who can’t develop locally go to
other destinations. They go to Cancun, Riviera Maya, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta. This is a
problem we have. (Participant 8, personal communication, February 24, 2016)
At the same time, a large proportion of Acapulco’s tourism businesses are guilty
of failing to implement policies designed to improve employees’ motivation and
work skills. Often, training courses are provided solely to meet legal requirements,
rather than as an investment to improve the business’s human capital. Combined
with the pessimistic attitude of many employees, this results in a situation in which
neither the business nor the employees appear to reap any significant benefits from
such activities and the general malaise enveloping the workforce continues to
prevail.
4.9.2.4 Environmental Capital
Acapulco’s natural capital is the destination’s greatest resource, having served as its
selling point for decades. The Bay of Santa Lucia (or Acapulco Bay) and surrounding mountainous rainforests offer a memorable view, while the beach continues to be
the main attraction for the sun, sea and sand segment. Meanwhile, the nearby
lagoons of Tres Palos and Coyuca, Veladero National Park and Roqueta Island
add to the overall tropical ambience of the destination. Unfortunately, this abundance of environmental capital is diminished by the sight of garbage strewn
throughout the streets and the beach and also the contamination of the sea with
sewage and toxic metals. Though visual pollution was becoming evident during
Acapulco’s golden era, it became a significant problem during the 1980s, contributing to the initial decline of international tourism, as explained by Valenzuela
(2008, p. 217): ‘They began to notice the rapid transformation of the natural and
urban landscape, increasing garbage in streets, beaches and also the pollution of the
bay. . .’. Those guilty of illegal waste disposal include businesses, hotels, tourists and
local residents. A particular problem emanates from the shanty towns which have
developed in the surrounding hills as garbage accumulates around these settlements
and is swept to the beach and sea by way of several rivers, especially during the rainy
season (Dimas et al. 2015).
Furthermore, the built environment also adds to the sense of environmental
decay. The abundance of high-rise hotels situated along the Golden Zone’s seafront
obstructs the view from the coast road, while the failure of the owners to maintain the
52
M. Speakman and A. D. Garay