Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 18

Mexico City Locals Hide Favorite Spots as Tourism Targets 19.5 Million Visitors by 2030

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 18

Mexico City Locals Hide Favorite Spots as Tourism Targets 19.5 Million Visitors by 2030

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 18

Luz Celaya, 27, now refuses to share a new secondhand market in Mexico City after an earlier favorite turned into a tourist draw and lost its local feel.
14.4 million hotel guests visited the city in 2023, and Celaya said rising tourism pushed up prices at her old paca, with some vendors even switching to dollar listings for American shoppers.
That experience has turned gatekeeping into a defensive habit for some residents who want to preserve cheaper prices, pesos-based trade and the everyday atmosphere of neighborhood places.
The tension reflects a broader backlash in travel hot spots, where locals increasingly weigh tourism's economic gains against the erosion of authenticity in the places they once freely recommended.

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As Mexico City cracks down on Airbnb, can it win the fight against the over-tourism that is displacing its residents?

Is the rise of 'gatekeeping' a global warning that the modern tourism industry is fundamentally broken for local communities?

When locals 'gatekeep' their culture, how can a tourist be a welcome guest instead of an unwelcome gentrifier?

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