The massive arrival of digital nomads and foreigners has led to gentrification, impacting the lives of locals in some areas Oaxaca (Mexico).
Although this had a positive impact on the local economy through tourism, it also led to internal displacement of residents.
This phenomenon of Gentrification This is happening not only in Mexico, but also in several Latin American countries that have chosen tourism to stimulate and diversify their economies.
This is the case Oaxacaone of the states with the greatest cultural diversity, but at the same time with one of the highest poverty rates in the country (66.4%).
According to the report According to the Center for Social Studies and Public Opinion (CESOP), immigration of foreign residents has increased by 403% in the last 20 years.
The series LIVE HERE from playground He wanted to learn more about this phenomenon and took to the streets to hear residents’ opinions and see how gentrification has affected their lifestyle.
“Oaxaca has been experiencing this phenomenon for many years, where many foreigners and people from other states come to live here for certain economic reasons, but also for folklore and all this magic that exists in the state,” said a young man from Oaxaca from Juarez.
The rise in the cost of living in Oaxaca
The phenomenon of gentrification is becoming increasingly evident with the rise in housing costs in several districts of the capital. Oaxacan like Xochimilco and Jalatlaco.
A few years ago, renting an apartment cost an average of 5,000 pesos per month, but today it can be over 35,000 pesos.
This is because these foreigners have greater purchasing power and the service owners use this to increase prices.
“Foreigners live a little more. I have no problems with it, but the restaurant prices have increased significantly or I have also seen that there are only places for them,” said a young man in an interview with LIVE HERE.
The economy of Oaxaca depends directly on the economy Tourism, gastronomy and their craftsmen. According to the Ministry of Tourism, revenue from this concept increased by 16% in 2023.
The truth is that residents face a dilemma in the face of this social reality. On the one hand, some sectors have benefited from the increase in tourism; On the other hand, there are also the residents who had to move because they cannot afford the new cost of living.
The Congress of Oaxaca recognized in a report that unplanned tourism triggers a gentrifying effect that displaces local populations, increases costs and worsens the quality of life.
“The phenomenon of gentrification has created an unprecedented form of collective displacement, from one residential life to another, replaced by tourism,” says a CESOP report.
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