The Sociopolitical History of Sun-and-Sand Tourism in Mexico: Tourist Imaginaries and Resort Development from Acapulco to Cancún.

This article examines the sociopolitical history of sun-and-sand tourism development in Mexico, focusing on how political dynamics shaped the planning and experience of resort cities from the 1940s through the 1970s. It highlights Acapulco’s mid-century development as a foundational case, where state-led land expropriations, elite interests, and working-class discontent influenced resort growth and governance under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The article further explores how lessons from Acapulco’s social conflicts and environmental challenges informed the technocratic and politically sensitive planning of later integrally planned resorts like Cancún and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, emphasizing segregation, environmental management, and controlled labor integration. Under President Luis Echeverría (1970–1976), tourism policy incorporated neo-populist reforms aimed at expanding popular participation and addressing social inequalities, though economic imperatives and private capital interests ultimately limited transformative change. The study underscores the inseparability of economic, political, and social forces in shaping Mexico’s coastal tourism landscape.