Tourism and Natural Resources along Nicaragua's Pacific Coast

I examine the fast pace of tourism development along the southwest Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. Tourism here is based upon the natural beauty of the coastline and what nature can offer to tourists. However, as tourism grows and... [ view full abstract ]

I examine the fast pace of tourism development along the southwest Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. Tourism here is based upon the natural beauty of the coastline and what nature can offer to tourists. However, as tourism grows and encroaches on the very resources upon which it relies, conflicts arise. Local populations along the coast are most impacted by the increased competition over local resources because they do not have the political or economic power to compete against more powerful tourism operations. Here I examine the results of over ten years of research undertaken by University of Denver students and faculty into the struggle over marine resources (fishing spaces), land (change of ownership from local to outsider), and underground water (aquifers) that the boom in tourism has precipitated. Locals are left in a precarious dilemma because their livelihoods over the past fifteen years have evolved to rely on tourism - the industry that they are now beginning to question to ensure equitable use of natural resources.