Responsible Travel in Mexico: Beyond Tourism to Meaningful Connections
Lo De Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico
Photo © Daena Crosby
Traveling to Mexico is an invitation to explore a country rich in history, vibrant cultures, and breathtaking landscapes.
How we travel is just as important as where we travel.
For me, responsible travel in Mexico is more than just reducing your environmental footprint or checking ethical tourism boxes.
I don’t just talk about responsible and relational travel – I try my best to live it! Over the last 5 years, I’ve traveled across Mexico with intention, seeking meaningful connections, learning from Indigenous communities, and supporting local businesses.
It’s about how you engage with the people, traditions, and communities that make Mexico so special. Responsible tourism in Mexico involves making mindful choices that respect local cultures, protect natural spaces, and support Mexican-owned businesses.
So, let’s take it a step further and practice “relational travel” – an approach that goes beyond sustainability and focuses on creating meaningful, reciprocal connections with the places you visit!
Quick Travel Resources
🛫 WISE – Multi-Currency Debit Card
🛫 REMITLY – International Money Transfer
What is Responsible Travel in Mexico?
At its core, responsible travel means minimizing harm and maximizing positive impact.
In Mexico, this could look like:
✔ Supporting locally owned accommodations, restaurants, and markets
✔ Being mindful of environmental impact, from reducing plastic waste to using reef-safe sunscreen
✔ Learning about local cultures and histories before visiting
✔ Respecting Indigenous lands and traditions
✔ Traveling in a way that doesn’t contribute to gentrification and economic disparity
These are great starting points, but responsible travel is more than a checklist – it is about relationships! That’s where relational travel comes in.
Relational Travel: Connecting with Mexico Beyond Tourism
Relational travel asks us to see beyond what we can take and instead focus on what we can give, share, and learn.
Traveling responsibly in Mexico isn’t about being perfect – it’s about trying, being honest about the impact we have, and trying to do things differently.
Over the years, I’ve learned through experience – choosing local businesses, listening to community voices, and building relationships rather than just passing through.
I don’t always get it right, but I keep trying because it’s about intention and the actions we take, and learn from!
For me, traveling in Mexico means engaging with the culture in a way that’s mutually beneficial – supporting artisans, respecting traditions, and being mindful of how tourism shapes local communities.
It’s about relational travel – moving beyond seeing places as backdrops and instead recognizing them as living, breathing communities.
If you’re looking for real ways to travel Mexico with respect, connection, and purpose, you’re in the right place.
Let’s explore how we can make travel more meaningful – one choice at a time!
Relational Travel: Be a Guest
Relational travel means moving through the world as a guest, not just a consumer.
Instead of simply taking experiences, relational travelers engage, learn, and give back.
Tourism has deep impacts on communities, both positive and negative. Gentrification, environmental degradation, and loss of cultural identity are some of the unintended consequences of unchecked tourism.
Relational travel invites us to move through the world more consciously, fostering relationships rather than just consuming experiences. It:
✔ Allows us to experience places more deeply and meaningfully
✔ Ensures that local communities are valued and respected
✔ Helps us recognize our role in global systems of power, privilege, and economic disparity
✔ Encourages a mindset of giving, not just taking – whether that means sharing skills, supporting local businesses, or simply moving with gratitude and awareness
Mexico is not just a backdrop for Instagram photos – it’s a living, breathing place filled with communities whose histories stretch back thousands of years.
To travel responsibly here means to travel relationally!
5 Ways to Practice Relational Travel in Mexico
1. Be a Guest, Not a Tourist
Mexico is known for its hospitality, but being a respectful guest means more than just saying “gracias” (But! That definitely is a part of it!).
Start with the understanding that you are entering someone else’s home, culture, and daily life. It means listening more than speaking, learning rather than assuming, and adapting rather than expecting things to conform to our needs.
✔ Learn basic Spanish phrases like “buenos días” (good morning) and “gracias” (thank you)
✔ Greet people when passing on the street or entering a shop or restaurant – It’s part of Mexican culture!
✔ Respect local customs, traditions, and ways of life instead of expecting things to be like home
✔ Leave an offering – like a small flower or a moment of gratitude – to honour the land that welcomes you, instead of taking shells or stones.
A collaborative offering I left on a beach in Nayarit, Mexico. As I was making it, another woman asked if I was also taking shells. I explained the offering and asked her to join me. She did and added the animal bones.
Photo © Daena Crosby
💡 Mindset shift: Instead of asking, “What can I get from this trip?” consider, “How can I connect with this place and its people?”
2. Learn About Local Histories & Indigenous Cultures
Mexico has over 60 Indigenous languages and a history that predates Spanish colonization by thousands of years.
The traditions of the Wixárika, Zapotec, Maya, Mixtec, and many other Indigenous groups still thrive today.
Photo taken with permission © Daena Crosby
Before visiting an archaeological site like Monte Albán or Chichén Itzá, ask:
✔ Who built this place, and what does it mean to their descendants today?
✔ Am I supporting an Indigenous-run tour company, or just a big tourism business?
✔ How can I respect sacred sites, such as not climbing ruins that are off-limits?
By choosing Indigenous-led tours and supporting community cooperatives, you ensure your visit contributes to cultural preservation rather than just extraction.
3. Support Mexican-Owned Businesses & Avoid Over-Gentrification
Many of Mexico’s most popular tourist areas – Oaxaca, Mexico City, Sayulita, and Tulum – face rapid gentrification.
Rising prices push locals out while catering to foreign travelers.
Responsible travel in Mexico means making choices that support communities rather than displace them.
✔ Stay in Mexican-owned hotels instead of foreign-owned Airbnbs that drive up housing costs
✔ Eat at family-run restaurants and street food stands, not just trendy expat cafés
✔ Shop at local markets where artisans set their own prices instead of middlemen profiting
Photo © Daena Crosby
💡 Tip: When bargaining at markets, pay artisans fairly! If something is handmade, ask yourself how long it took to create and the history of the art, before asking for a discount or saying it’s too “expensive.”
4. Embrace Mexico as It Is – Not as You Expect It to Be
Mexico has its own pace, customs, and social norms. The more you embrace them, the deeper your experience will be.
✔ Time is flexible – Things might not run on strict schedules. Lean into the slower rhythm. Consider the phrase “No hay prisa” (There’s no rush) as a personal motto!
✔ Music and celebrations last all night – Loud fiestas and live music are part of life here!
✔ Not everything is on Google Maps – Sometimes, the best places are found by asking a local.
Instead of getting frustrated when things aren’t “like home,” try appreciating what makes Mexico different, including the roosters and dogs!
5. Give Back in Meaningful Ways
Instead of just taking from a place, whether it’s experiences, photos, or cheap souvenirs, consider how you can leave a positive impact!
These baby turtles were naturally born on a beach in Sayulita on the Winter Solstice 2024! While some tourists got too close (IMHO), we drew lines in the sand (literally) to protect them as they all made their way successfully to the water!
Photo taken using camera zoom to maintain a respectful distance and not disturb their process. © Daena Crosby
✔ Leave good reviews for Mexican-owned businesses – This helps them thrive
✔ Participate in community projects – Like beach clean-ups, or donate to a local organization
✔ Respect wildlife and nature – Don’t touch sea turtles or wild animals, and use reef-safe sunscreen
💡 Mindset shift: Tourism isn’t neutral. Every peso you spend, every place you stay, and every experience you choose either helps or harms a community!
Tourism in Mexico: What’s the Real Cost?
Mexico offers so much to love – welcoming communities, breathtaking coastlines, vibrant markets, and deep cultural roots.
But as tourism grows, so does its impact – and it’s not always visible from a beach chair or boutique hotel.
In many parts of the country, including Oaxaca, tourism has begun to strain essential resources.
Water is one of the most critical.
In some regions, it’s being rerouted from local neighbourhoods to serve hotels, resorts, and tourism infrastructure – leaving residents without enough for daily life.
This isn’t just an environmental concern. It’s about fairness, equity, and how we choose to show up as guests.
Travelling responsibly in Mexico means staying curious about how tourism shapes local economies, ecosystems, and access to basic needs.
A must-watch: Journalist Bianca Graulau created a short, eye-opening video that dives into how over-tourism is affecting Indigenous communities in Oaxaca, especially when it comes to water access. 👉 Watch it here
Let it be a starting point.
Keep learning. Ask questions. Choose stays and experiences that respect local people and land.
Because loving a place also means caring about the people who live there.
Responsible Travel in Mexico is About Connection
Mexico is a place to build relationships with people, cultures, histories and land.
By traveling responsibly and embracing relational travel, you can experience Mexico in a deeper, more fulfilling way – one that doesn’t just check off bucket-list experiences but creates lasting connections.
So next time you pack your bags for Mexico, ask yourself:
✨ How can I ensure my presence benefits the places I visit?
✨ What can I learn from this experience, rather than just consume?
✨ How can I honour the communities that make this place special?
With this mindset, your travels will be more than just responsible – they’ll be transformative.
✨Keep Exploring Mexico Magic✨
👉✨ Gentrification in Mexico: A Guide to Responsible Travel
👉✨ 10 Mexico Travel Tips: Essential Advice for a Smooth Trip