Tourism and Well being : Substantive versus slogan-based hospitality

This article aims to analyze the concepts of hospitality and social well-being in light of the impact that tourism development has on a population’s social growth. The concept of hospitality is incorporated into a philosophical and anthropological approach, and draws on concepts of well-being from social and economic perspectives. We offer a comparative analysis of regional tourism growth and its impact on a local population’s well-being based on the four variables associated with economic development: Food (as included within the healthcare field), Education, Social Security and Housing. We examine the impact tourism has had on social growth in populations from Baja California Sur, Mexico, specifically focusing on the municipalities of Comondú, Mulegé, La Paz, Los Cabos and Loreto. We begin with the premise that development measures do not always coincide with qualitative improvement, and often just include quantitative improvement, when it comes to the local population and its environment because tourism growth is based on an outdated concept limited to economic data. We have found that, although authorities have worked to promote tourism for decades, many of the needs of the poor and working class have gone unattended, reflecting the government’s long-term abandonment in this area.

This article aims to analyze the concepts of hospitality and social well-being in light of the impact that tourism development has on a population’s social growth. The concept of hospitality is incorporated into a philosophical and anthropological approach, and draws on concepts of well-being from social and economic perspectives. We offer a comparative analysis of regional tourism growth and its impact on a local population’s well-being based on the four variables associated with economic development: Food (as included within the healthcare field), Education, Social Security and Housing. We examine the impact tourism has had on social growth in populations from Baja California Sur, Mexico, specifically focusing on the municipalities of Comondú, Mulegé, La Paz, Los Cabos and Loreto. We begin with the premise that development measures do not always coincide with qualitative improvement, and often just include quantitative improvement, when it comes to the local population and its environment because tourism growth is based on an outdated concept limited to economic data. We have found that, although authorities have worked to promote tourism for decades, many of the needs of the poor and working class have gone unattended, reflecting the government’s long-term abandonment in this area.