Why Invest in Mexico?

The latest report from the International Community Foundation executive summary is here for your information.

This report analyzes environmentally specific consumer perceptions and preferences among U.S. retirees and second home buyers in Mexican coastal communities, including recycling, reducing consumption, and green building. In addition, the report reviews how U.S. retirees are addressing the environment independently in Mexico and how developers can capitalize on growing consumer interest in “greener” living. Finally, the report makes policy recommendations for Mexican decision-makers on development practices, sustainable tourism criteria, and creating healthier communities.
The focus on Mexican coastal cities and towns reflects their consistent and growing popularity with Americans seeking to retire.

For years, U.S. tourists have flocked to Mexico’s coastline for the climate, views, access to the sea, and of course, for its proximity to the United States. The Baja California peninsula, frequented by U.S. travelers for its direct flights from California and Seattle, includes Rosarito/Ensenada, Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas/San José del Cabo, La Paz and Loreto.

Over time, these tourist areas have evolved into “retirement destinations.” Mexico’s coastline is also known for its beaches and warm blue water, but its marine biodiversity is equally spectacular, attracting tourists to its natural abundance. Visitors can experience pods of hundreds of dolphins and rays; dozens of species of turtles, sharks, and whales; and marlin, roosterfish, and sailfish -- all with a backdrop of dramatic mountains, reefs, and picturesque coastal towns. In Mexico’s coastal communities, snorkeling, and sailing are the main attraction. Yet, as the tourist infrastructure grows, the marine biodiversity and fragile coastal area are the first victims, threatening the very substance of local tourism offerings.

Towering hotels and condominiums block view corridors; golf courses, non-native landscaping, increased household water use and inefficient infrastructure accelerate depletion of available water resources; runoff laden with untreated sewage, dirt, fertilizers, and oil poison near-shore reefs, mangroves, and fish habitats. This is not how U.S. retirees intended to enjoy their “adopted” Mexican coastal communities.

This report is one of the first to analyze U.S. retiree consumer preferences and priorities when it comes to the environment. The International Community Foundation conducted a comprehensive study of 840 U.S. retirees in Mexican coastal communities between July and November 2009, including questions related to their behavior regarding environmental issues, as well as the opportunities to improve their “adopted” community’s quality of life as it relates to the local environment. The target populations surveyed were those aged 50 years or older who are now either retired full-time in Mexico or residing there on a part-time basis.

Among the study’s key finding was that the overwhelming majority of respondents (78.7%) have actively considered their environmental impact on their adopted new community in Mexico. They drive less (63.3%), consume less electricity (53.1%), and use less water (41.4%). They recycle (31%), but another 46% noted that they would recycle if those services were available to them. 42% are concerned or very concerned about climate change. Our analysis underscores the fact that a sustainable future for Mexico’s coastal destinations must include resource-efficient infrastructure and effective land-use planning. With improvements in irrigation and water treatment systems, transformation of power provision systems, ecosystem restoration, and erosion control measures, Mexico’s decision-makers can ensure that the infrastructure and land use zoning they put in place results in a positive legacy.

Read the full report here:

http://www.icfdn.org/publications/environment/index.php

Make informed desicions and select providers that are ecologically responsibles as Villas Agua Blanca.