the destination and provoking the initial decline in public and private investment
discussed above. The extent of Acapulco’s political capital is also influenced by the
occasionally frictional relationship between its tourism organisations and their
counterparts in the state and government offices, as explained by an interview
participant:
The one that has power here is the State Secretary of Tourism. The Secretary of Tourism has
a plan, a programme, and they coordinate tourism policy throughout the state. They provide
funds to the Municipal authorities. A Municipal authority like Acapulco will have a tourism
plan- a list of projects, but the State gives what it thinks. In my opinion, the State wants to run
everything and they do not give the local council enough autonomy or funding. We do not
have enough resources. (Participant 7, personal communication, February 15, 2016)
4.9.2.7 Technological Capital
When considering a destination’s technological capital, it is not simply a question of
considering general access to information technology (IT), but to assess whether it is
actually being used efficiently to communicate with current and potential markets
and stakeholders in general. Correspondingly, access to IT in Acapulco is not
regarded as being particularly problematic; instead, the issue that emerges is one
of insufficient utilisation, mostly due to the failure of the authorities to develop the
innovative culture that is required to fully embrace the potential that IT has to offer.
Consequently, despite some individual examples of successful initiatives, such as
the Acapulco Puede (Acapulco Can) application developed by the local authority in
2012, the evidence points towards a widespread nonchalance regarding the exploitation of IT throughout the Acapulco tourism community.
The tourism industry here just moves from day to day. Most managers and workers in hotels
and restaurants are too busy trying to meet costs than to think about what IT might have to
offer. We need some training workshops to show them. (Participant 14, personal communication, April 12, 2016)
4.10 Tourism Development Opportunities
Relating a destination’s market opportunities to its capitals forms the basis from
which to develop tourism plans. At this stage, it is necessary to establish the extent to
which each capital should be exploited and what can be done to revitalise ailing
capitals. The analysis of Acapulco’s capitals in the previous section established that
its environmental and cultural resources hold significant potential. Rich environmental capital was the chief factor contributing to Acapulco’s historic success as a
tourism destination, but it has been undermined by the sight of shabby, neglected
buildings and discarded solid waste that pollutes the streets, beach and the sea. The
abundance of solid waste in particular serves as a visual reminder of the negative
social issues affecting Acapulco, reflecting a certain level of ignorance and disregard
54
M. Speakman and A. D. Garay
discussed above. The extent of Acapulco’s political capital is also influenced by the
occasionally frictional relationship between its tourism organisations and their
counterparts in the state and government offices, as explained by an interview
participant:
The one that has power here is the State Secretary of Tourism. The Secretary of Tourism has
a plan, a programme, and they coordinate tourism policy throughout the state. They provide
funds to the Municipal authorities. A Municipal authority like Acapulco will have a tourism
plan- a list of projects, but the State gives what it thinks. In my opinion, the State wants to run
everything and they do not give the local council enough autonomy or funding. We do not
have enough resources. (Participant 7, personal communication, February 15, 2016)
4.9.2.7 Technological Capital
When considering a destination’s technological capital, it is not simply a question of
considering general access to information technology (IT), but to assess whether it is
actually being used efficiently to communicate with current and potential markets
and stakeholders in general. Correspondingly, access to IT in Acapulco is not
regarded as being particularly problematic; instead, the issue that emerges is one
of insufficient utilisation, mostly due to the failure of the authorities to develop the
innovative culture that is required to fully embrace the potential that IT has to offer.
Consequently, despite some individual examples of successful initiatives, such as
the Acapulco Puede (Acapulco Can) application developed by the local authority in
2012, the evidence points towards a widespread nonchalance regarding the exploitation of IT throughout the Acapulco tourism community.
The tourism industry here just moves from day to day. Most managers and workers in hotels
and restaurants are too busy trying to meet costs than to think about what IT might have to
offer. We need some training workshops to show them. (Participant 14, personal communication, April 12, 2016)
4.10 Tourism Development Opportunities
Relating a destination’s market opportunities to its capitals forms the basis from
which to develop tourism plans. At this stage, it is necessary to establish the extent to
which each capital should be exploited and what can be done to revitalise ailing
capitals. The analysis of Acapulco’s capitals in the previous section established that
its environmental and cultural resources hold significant potential. Rich environmental capital was the chief factor contributing to Acapulco’s historic success as a
tourism destination, but it has been undermined by the sight of shabby, neglected
buildings and discarded solid waste that pollutes the streets, beach and the sea. The
abundance of solid waste in particular serves as a visual reminder of the negative
social issues affecting Acapulco, reflecting a certain level of ignorance and disregard
54
M. Speakman and A. D. Garay