For the last four vacations of my life, I have gone to a place where I have had to go out with family and purchase groceries in order to have dinner. Or rather a choice between that and to go out to an overpriced restaurant which leaves you starving after a 100$ meal. This year I decided to take a different route and take the “All-inclusive” approach.
What really sets all-inclusive resorts apart from other five star hotels (besides the obvious price boost) is the level of comfort and relaxation at the guests’ disposal. With overall rising prices around the world, people tend to take less and less vacations unless absolutely necessary. The last thing someone would want is to escape work and go to a place where you have to work even harder than back home.
When last year I went to Hawaii, there were no all-inclusive resorts available. My family and I stayed at a nice little resort on Maui, and the place had everything. From a large swimming pool, to a gorgeous view. However, when it came time to sit down for dinner, my parents ended up having to cook, as well as drive to the nearby supermarket to purchase groceries. I definitely do not consider that a vacation!
In 2009, it was reported that every single hotel on the hotel strip at Cancun, Mexico, offered an all-inclusive service. This, along with other factors, is a clear reason why Mexico is one of the biggest tourist hotspots in the entire world. Nobody wants to go on vacation on some exotic beach and spend half the day cooking. The American islands of Hawaii clearly rely more on natural beauty than guest services in order to attract tourism.
A few years ago, I took a weeklong vacation with my family and a group of friends in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I received every second of relaxation and enjoyment that I (my parents) had paid for. While the all-inclusive service does cost considerably more than the traditional lodging price, it is completely worth it. Considering that an average person will pay more to go out every night and eat, than is included in the all-inclusive price.
Money is also not the only important factor here. The whole concept of a vacation is for a person to go somewhere else and relax, without having to worry about little things such as where to eat, and how much money to carry around. All-inclusive resorts take care of all this trouble by providing food and every service imaginable to the guest.
From my Cabo experience, I can vouch for all-inclusive being the best way to vacation. Sitting at one of the six hotel restaurants and ordering whatever I feel like without having to worry about the cost. Spending a few hours by the pool where friendly waitresses bring you any drink which comes to your head – free of charge of course. There is no way that this experience can compare to the one I had in Hawaii, where cooking and shopping were a necessity.
With the decreasing economy around Latin countries, it is very important for Mexico to maintain its constant flow of tourists. A little less than 10% of the country’s GDP comes from tourism! Also, about 10% of the country’s employment is in the hotel and resort business.
Aside from the economy problems, a huge issue in Mexico is the current drug wars. When Americans, and frankly anyone, hear about drug shootings and tourists being held hostage, they don’t want to visit the place. And that is just common logic. Why go to a place with such high potential dangers. A study shows that despite heavy discounts, most resorts report only up to 80% occupancy. A sad, but very real truth.
I, for one, will not stop visiting Mexico for my vacations, partly because of what I saw last time. The entire resort was guarded by a large number of armed guards. Security was at a maximum. After visiting such a great place, where you can eat and drink all you want for a week straight, there is no way I can go back to a hotel experience where the cost is the same, but the labor is high.
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