Perception of Security by Tourism Service Providers: The Case of Acapulco, Mexico

Abstract

Tourism is one of the main economic sectors worldwide that, in times of crisis due to security incidents, configures a fight for businessmen's social and economic survival. The research determined the perception of tourist security in Acapulco based on the opinion of tourist service providers, to implement strategies that allow them to recover their competitiveness. The methodological process consisted of two phases: in the first, a documentary analysis of social and economic factors was carried out; in the second: the direct, flexible, and dynamic interview was structured. The investigation lasted two years, beginning in 2019 and ending in January 2021. About 60 interviews were conducted with men and women, in the tourist areas of Acapulco: diamond, traditional, and golden, aimed at tourism service providers, such as businessmen, presidents of associations, and managers of the small, medium, and large companies. The number of interviews was defined based on the theoretical saturation criterion, where the information became repetitive in the data collection and no new information emerged. The approximate duration of these interviews ranged between 25 and 50 min. Some findings are: the port was affected by security incidents such as organized crime, delinquency, extortion, kidnapping, payment of land, homicides, and drug trafficking; some causes of low security: corruption and non-enforcement of laws. Tourist service providers dedicate a good part of their income to maintaining your security with the hiring of private security personnel, alarms, security cameras, and resistant locks. Some proposals for improvement are: to fight corruption at all levels of government, promote local and citizen organizations, generate better-paid jobs, and renew the educational system. Finally, a proposed alternative is the creation of a comprehensive tourism security plan.