From Vacation to Reflection: My Return to Mexico

I recently returned from a relaxing two weeks in the Rivera Maya. Although this was my third trip to the region, it was my longest trip to date. I started traveling to Mexico because of my husband and his family’s connection to the country. His mother became fluent in Spanish after moving to Mexico at eighteen, and he has been regularly visiting since he was two years old.

During our stay, we developed a friendly relationship with the bartender at our resort’s pool. We recognized him from our visit to the same resort two years earlier. Our new friend, Julio, talked to us about his work schedule, how he spends his time off and gave us insights into his Mayan heritage. Our conversations sparked my curiosity about the working conditions and economic realities faced by locals in Mexico. As an American, I take minimum wage for granted, but not every country offers the same protections.

After doing some research, I learned that the general minimum wage for Mexico is MXN $278.80 per day, which is roughly USD $15. Additionally, the standard work week is defined as 48 hours, consisting of six days of work with one day off. Learning this made me feel guilty, and caused me to challenge the assumptions I had about travel and privilege.

This inspired me to learn about sustainable tourism— a movement aimed at reducing the negative social, environmental and cultural impacts of travel. The goal being to create more meaningful, respectful, and equitable exchanges between travelers and the place they visit.

I’m not saying there was anything inherently wrong with our trip. I understand that tourism supports millions of jobs in Mexico and accounts for over 8% of the country’s GDP. Still, I can’t help but wonder: why did it take me three visits to start thinking about the broader impact of my travel?

Going forward, I want to do better. My goal is to research more before I travel; about the country, the culture, and how my presence might affect the local community.

While I may have not always made the most sustainable travel decisions, this trip reminded me that awareness is the first step towards improvement. In the future, I hope to be more intentional with where I go, how I spend, and the kind of impact I leave behind.