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Active Volcanoes in Mexico as Tourist Destinations 127

30 per cent is shared by 42 destinations spread all Mexico’s national parks system has this
over the country (OECD, 2001). requirement under notice, and hazard mapping is
Thus, despite the new rhetoric, government progressing (Secor, 2005).
strategies still seem to continue following the path
chosen in the 1960s. Efforts to develop tourism are Conclusion
increasing in intensity but remain focused on Mexico’s range of active and dormant volcanoes
mainstream (resort) tourism. This a pity, because are a well-known national tourism asset, and are
Mexico’s tourism industry is already highly developed progressively being upgraded for visitors. While
and too large to only rely on one or two types of Popocatépetl and Colima are closed at the time of
tourism. Alternative forms of tourism such as writing owing to eruptions and threats of eruptions,
ecotourism and cultural/archaeological/ethnic the others enjoy a limited number of visitors,
tourism can and should be more emphasized. For controlled by national park regulations and/or
many visitors of mainstream tourism sites and resorts, access difficulties. Risk management is as found in
alternative tourism such as the volcanoes could at other national park systems around the world, and
least be an ‘add-on option’ offering day trips into is primarily based on environmental conditions
natural areas (there are excellent mountain tours and environmental damage protection, rather than
available and Socorro Island is a popular scuba diving on the nature of the volcanoes, unless these are
destination) and maybe creating some environmental erupting or in danger of erupting.
awareness and limited income for local people and
natural parks. In other areas, however (like Chiapas References
State, Oaxaca and some parts of the Yucatán),
alternative tourism developments should not just be CNN Destinations (1997) The Seven Natural Wonders
an ‘add-on’, but should be given the highest priority of the World, Cable News Network, New York
considering the natural infrastructure and the socio- Manea, V. C. and Manea, M. (2005) ‘The origin of the
cultural attributes of these areas (OECD, 2001). modern Chiapanecan volcanic arc in southern
Mexico inferred from thermal models’, GSA Special
Risk management Paper, Natural Hazards in Central America, Seismological
Laboratory 252–21, CalTech, Pasadena, CA
The management of risk has always posed a OECD (2001) ‘National Tourism Policy Review of
challenge for populations living in the shadow of Mexico’, Directorate for Science, Technology and
volcanoes. In primitive societies, volcano risk was Industry, OECD, Paris
managed simply but effectively through avoidance Robock, A. (2002) ‘Volcanic Eruption, El Chichón’, in
– living near the summit of an active volcano was MacCracken, M. C. and Perry, J. S. (eds) ‘The Earth
a religious taboo. In the 21st century, however, System: Physical and Chemical Dimensions of
the fertile slopes of active volcanoes are often Global Environmental Change’, Encyclopedia of
densely populated because of their agricultural Global Environmental Change, vol 1, pp736–737,
John Wiley & Sons, Chichester
abundance, and are often great visitor attractions Secor, R. J. (2005) Mexico’s Volcanoes, The Mountaineers
as well. Therefore, volcano risk management Books, Seattle, WA
procedures need to involve an economically and Sigurdsson, H. (2000) Encyclopedia of Volcanoes, Academic
sociologically realistic assessment of risk. Prudent Press, San Diego, CA
volcano risk management therefore dictates that Siebert, L., Calvin, C., Kimberly, P., Luhr, J. F. and
well before any volcano crisis develops visitors Kysar, G. (2003) Volcanoes of México, vol 1.0,
and host communities should familiarize Smithsonian Institute, Global Volcanism Program,
themselves with available hazard maps. Although Digital Information Series, GVP-6, Smithsonian,
it is not usually possible to predict when a Washington DC
dormant volcano will become active, once it does UNTWO Tourism Barometer (2009) Online
make this transition monitoring will allow the Document: www.pub.unwto.org/epages/Store.sf/
?ObjectPath=/Shops/Infoshop/Products/1324/
tracking of the probability of an eruption. And SubProducts/1324–1, accessed 7 January 2010
once an eruption occurs, which might last for Wikimedia Commons (2009) ‘Major volcanoes of
months, years or even decades, higher priority Mexico’, www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_
risk management levels can be implemented. mexico_volcanoes.gif, accessed 20 July 2009

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