At the site of Chichen Itza, it was hard to ignore the hundreds of vendors who surrounded the entire site. Every path we walked was lined with tables, tents, and colorful knick-knacks. Unfortunately, I remember more about the people and the things they were trying to sell than I do the actual site.
Commercialization and mass tourism have allowed more people to travel to sites such as Chichen Itza and Tulum, but with more tourists come more chances to make money. The people who live in areas surrounding these famous sites have taken the opportunity to prey on travellers. They sell anything ranging from tapestries to fridge magnets for the highest price people are willing to pay. It is impossible to deny that this is an incredibly efficient way to make money, but as someone who is trying to learn and experience the culture, it can be distracting.
It is important for the economy of local areas that archaeological sites are well-known and well-visited. Much like the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach, the money made from tourism benefits the local population. For this reason, I believe that vendors should still be allowed to sell at popular sites, but it should be limited to the areas around the site and not within. This way it is still possible to benefit economically through the selling of entrance tickets and merchandise being sold outside, but visitors won’t be distracted from the real reason they come to the sites- witnessing the spectacular architectural achievements of the Ancient Mayans.
Explorando en Yucatán 