Page 149 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

126 The Americas

El Jorullo (began erupting 29 September terrain, hypothermia). Risk factors for the
1759) is one of two known volcanoes to have mountains and the traveller come from litter and
developed in Mexico in recent history. The other waste products. Should any of these problems
second, born about 183 years later, was Parícutin, occur each of the major volcanoes has a climber
about 80km north-west of El Jorullo. Once the registration facility (Secor, 2005), and the national
volcano started erupting, it continued for 15 years parks and local communities have rangers and
eventually ending in 1774, and grew approximately visitor centres for assistance.
820 feet (250 metres) from the ground in the first
six weeks. The eruptions from El Jorullo were Tourism
primarily phreatic and phreatomagmatic, covering Tourism is the third most important economic
the surrounding area with sticky mud flows, water sector for Mexico, contributing almost 9 per cent of
flows and ash falls. GDP and two million jobs to the national economy
Popocatépetl is one of the most active and in 2007. Nearly 22 million overseas visitors are
famous volcanoes in Mexico, having had more than attracted to the country each year, 96 per cent from
20 major eruptions since the arrival of the Spanish North America, but they are mainly visiting for
in 1519. Major eruptions occurred in 1947, 1994, ‘sun, sea and sand’ and/or cultural tourism. However,
2000 and 2006. Popocatépetl is linked to the the vision of what the industry and government
Iztaccíhuatl volcano to the north by the high saddle expect of tourism in the long run is somewhat
known as the Paso de Cortés, and lies in the eastern different as can be seen from the National Tourism
half of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. Popocatépetl Policy Review of Mexico, which states:
is only 70km (44 miles) to the south-east of
Mexico City, from where it can be seen regularly, By 2025 Mexico will be a leading country in
depending on atmospheric conditions. The volcano tourism, since it will have diversified its markets,
is also one of the three in Mexico to support products and destinations, and its firms will be
glaciers, with the others being Iztaccíhuatl and Pico competitive at the domestic and international level.
de Orizaba. Magma erupted from Popocatépetl is a Tourism will be recognized as playing a key role in
mixture of dacite and basaltic andesite. The early economic development and it will have grown with
16th-century monasteries on the slopes of the full respect for the natural, cultural and social
mountain are a world heritage site. environment, contributing all the while to enhancing
Finally, the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas are a volcanic national identity. (OECD, 2001)
belt along the south-eastern Veracruz Gulf coast in In the wake of the worldwide success and popularity
south central Mexico. Peaks in this range include of ecotourism, official Mexican advertising has
Volcano Santa Marta and Volcano San Martín begun to shift focus from pure ‘sun and sand’
Tuxtla, both rising above 1700m. San Martín Tuxtla attractions to cultural, historic and environmental
is the only recently active volcano in the belt, topics (OECD, 2001). However this is at best
erupting in 1664 and again in May 1793. It is a tentative and while Mexico is a multi-destination
broad alkaline shield volcano with a 1km wide country, when looking at total tourist arrivals
summit. Hundreds of smaller cinder cones are (domestic plus international tourists) it is apparent
prevalent throughout the Sierra Biosphere Reserve. that the six busiest destinations account for 52 per
cent of all arrivals. These include the three largest
Risk factors cities in the country (Mexico City 20.6 per cent of
The risk factors relating to Mexican volcanoes are arrivals in 2000, Guadalajara 4.9 per cent, and
the same as for any other group: lava flows Monterrey 3.3 per cent), two traditional beach
destroying towns (Parícutin in the 1940s and 50s); destinations, Acapulco and Veracruz, and Cancun,
ash eruptions and pyroclastic flows affecting both an integrally planned coastal resort centre. Seven
air transport and human settlements (El Chichón, other destinations, which include smaller cities,
1982); extreme weather conditions and glacial border cities and beach destinations, account for
environments (Pico de Orizaba, Popocatépetl); between 2.1 and 3.1 per cent of all tourist arrivals,
and the hazards generally associated with and push the share of the top 13 destinations to
mountainous terrain (altitude sickness, unstable just over 70 per cent of arrivals. The remaining

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