Residential Tourism, Real Estate Urbanization, and Socio-Ecological Fragility: Rethinking Resilience in Isla Cortés, México

Abstract

This study critically examines residential tourism in Isla Cortés within the context of the real estate boom and the growing sustainability challenges facing coastal regions. Driven by global mobility, investment flows, and lifestyle migration, residential tourism is reshaping coastlines through intensive urban expansion. The analysis highlights the socio-environmental consequences of this model, including habitat fragmentation, mangrove loss, increasing pressure on water resources, and the gradual privatization of coastal areas. Using a qualitative research design that combines literature review, comparative case analysis, and territorial assessment, the study identifies structural similarities between Isla Cortés and other coastal tourism enclaves while emphasizing locally specific processes shaped by Mexico’s political economy and regulatory context. Findings suggest the structurally unsustainable character of this development pathway. Although residential tourism has stimulated short-term economic growth, it has also intensified socio-spatial segregation, commodified coastal commons, and generated long-term ecological and social vulnerabilities. The study challenges dominant narratives that portray residential tourism as inherently sustainable and instead draws on ecological reflexivity and socio-ecological systems perspectives to outline alternative planning pathways. It underscores the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, nature-based solutions, participatory governance, and regenerative planning strategies capable of aligning economic activity with ecological integrity and social inclusion in coastal territories.