Loreto

Although the population currently hovers around 15,000 people, the municipality of Loreto is at an economic crossroads – with “boom or bust” pressure for land speculation and development.  The city of Loreto currently houses the most northern airport in the state, making it a hub for tourism for northern Baja California Sur.  In order to take advantage of this, the municipality has the potential to develop local tourism by breathing new life into the area’s historical and cultural facets, modernizing its tourism infrastructure, and strengthening training for service providers. [1]

Training continues to be one of the major obstacles blocking the creation of small and medium enterprises, which represents a limitation to community development.  Financing should be made readily available to the population to foster the creation of jobs, as well as micro-enterprises.  Further, Loreto should be marketed as an attractive location for investors who want to expand their operations, as there is a permanent need for jobs during low fishing and tourism seasons.[2]

Sport and recreational fishing are the foundation of the local tourism industry for Loreto.  As stated by Harvard University researchers and local academics in late 2005, “The growth of tourism and resident populations in Loreto will increase the number of fishermen plying the waters of the region. Increased fishing effort will put additional pressure on fishing stocks that are already displaying signs of overexploitation…the current level of fishing effort is already putting resident communities of fish in jeopardy.[3] By diversifying into whale-watching and other alternative tourism opportunities, these fishing outfitters can decrease pressure on local fisheries and avoid a crash.