ABSTRACT
Global economic tensions affect localized sustainable tourist-based living wages, often lead to community disputes, and can raise issues of worth, racism, and conflicting community goals. This chapter discusses these issues on the island of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Though small, Isla Mujeres is among the top tourist destinations on the planet and regarded as the antithesis of Cancun for the traveler looking for a more authentic Mexican beach vacation. In March of 2014, after Isla Mujeres was voted among the top ten best beaches on the planet via TripAdvisor member rankings, the local government of Isla Mujeres passed a town ordinance banning beach vendors and many street vendors. The government decision caused much debate and heated emotional discussions within the foreign immigrant, tourist, and local isleño community. The discourses that followed the government decision reflected community ownership, efficacy, local versus non-local, and ethnic ideologies. The TripAdvisor ranking, as fleeting as it may be, stirred tensions between the government, local isleños, and expat/tourist groups, with many individuals left feeling their economic security has been sacrificed for the sake of possible future investment.
