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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Hed Kandi Sayulita Beach House: Travel-Tourism Economic Development Using Social Media

I love Hed Kandi’s chill and house mixes and eagerly look for them. They evoke a beach and surf vibe and even if I’m squeezed into an economy seat on a sold-out regional jet flight, I am immediately transported to gorgeous places and climates. 

For example, I imagine Sayulita, a bohemian coastal village in the Nayarit Riviera in Mexico close to Puerta Vallarta, famed for its surf and Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP)  competition in May.

In certain times of the year, Sayulita is a mellow place of pink sunsets and glassy waters.

sayulita, nayarit - susan smith nash, ph.d.

However, according to blog posts and reviews, Sayulita was pure enchantment 30 years ago, but has been sullied by crowds and poor infrastructure, as well as a failure to enforce sanitation laws.

This is disappointing to me, and I wonder how many others are like me – they’d love to spend an extended amount of time in a beach community, and perhaps even invest in a house or a business.

Accelerating Private Infrastructure Investment for Economic Development

Perhaps the problem is that of a lack of private investment for infrastructure which is uniformly administered by a board that follows an approved development plan.

sayulita sand tortugas - photo by susan smith nash, ph.d.

Personally, I think it would be a good idea to use templates already in place for development plans. For example, the “Pueblo Mágico” concept in Mexico has resulted in gorgeously maintained villages which are charming and clean. Examples that come to mind in the state of Jalisco are Tapalpa and Tequila.

It would be a good idea to share infrastructure improvements in order to encourage development via social media:
•    tweet new developments
•    post photos of prize winners on Instagram & share
•    use LinkedIn to connect owners of businesses / services
•    post videos of contests & the implementation of new infrastructure on YouTube
•    develop weekly shows to post on YouTube

While it might be tempting to try to shame people into not erecting fences that encroach on public roads, disregarding property lines, leaving piles of mangos and fallen branches to rot, and to letting their dogs run free in the streets and beaches, putting up ugly photos on the web is a very inadvisable strategy that will certainly have unintended negative results. It’s much better to encourage and envision positive change, and reward steps made in the right direction.





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