The tourist aspect of Mexico is that of an exotic destination composed of sun, beaches, tropical climate and turquoise waters. Tourism in Mexico began in the 1970s, and over the past twenty years the country has become a sought-after tourist destination. Currently, tourism revenue is the third largest source of foreign exchange (Wilson, 2008, 6). Mexican tourism is predominantly marketed to the United States (Swords & Mize, 55). These Western tourists visit Mexico to experience a sense of exoticism. Exoticism is defined as “A romanticization, fetishization, and/or commodification of ethnic, racial, or cultural otherness (Chandler & Munday, 2011).” Exposure to an unfamiliar place creates an adventurous environment for tourists. This allows them to experience a pleasant environment that is different from their average routine. Tourists acquire a casual mentality, which pushes them to seek connections that cannot be replicated (Van Den Berghe & Keyes, 1984, 345). The exoticism of Mexico produces an “authentic” experience. This is highly marketable to tourists and makes the country a fascinating destination. This essay will explore the role of exoticism in Mexican tourism. Attention will be focused on two categories of exoticism: Mexican folklore and the sexualization of “exotic” bodies. These topics will be discussed separately but share common connections related to culture. Mexican folklore will be analyzed through the commodification of specific rituals, “traditional” clothing and “authentic” souvenirs. The sexualisation of “exotic” bodies will be observed specifically in tourism work. This will explore the benefits that objectification creates for tourism workers. The goal is to show how exoticism was...... middle of paper ......d Tourist Views and Spectacles: US Consumption of Land and Labor in Puerto Rican and Mexican Destinations. Latin American Perspectives, 35(3), 53-69. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27648097Wilson, T. D. (2008). The impact of tourism in Latin America. Latin American Perspectives, 35(3), 3-20. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27648094Wilson, T.D., & Ypeij, A. (2012). Tourism, gender and ethnicity. Latin American Perspectives, 39(5), 5-16. doi: 10.1177/0094582X12453896Van Den Berghe, P. L. (1995). Maya Marketing: promoting ethnic tourism in Mexico. Annals of Tourism Research, 22(3), 568-588. doi: 10.1016/0160-7383(95)00006-RVan Den Berghe, P. L., & Keyes, C. F. (1984). Tourism and recreated ethnicity. Annals of Tourism Research, 11(3), 343-353 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1016/0160-7383(84)90026-4