Tourism and some of its (unintended) Consequences

With the relative economic and political stability of the Central American region, tourism has seen strong growth in recent years. Most of these tourists after visiting return to their home countries. Others however fall in love with the places they see and decide to stay and build a house. This increasing demand in land by people with lots of wealth (certainly compared to locals) has led to a massive rise in real estate prices in many regions. Several time I heard stories of a piece of land purchased for $5000-10000 USD and sold for $50000-100000 5 years later. This phenomenon has several unfortunate consequences. Many families attracted by the huge increase in value of their property are tempted to cash in and sell their family farm, take their profits and move to the city with the promise of a better and easier life (leaving the farm workers behind without a job). But without a job in the city, nor marketable skills or the family support this money is quickly spent and the family is left with nothing, not even the option to return as prices have risen further yet. This trend has gone so far that in some regions or towns it is practically impossible to find locally owned property. Locals have been completely priced out of the market because once sold they could never afford to buy it back. As such many regions, cities and beaches are at risk of losing their original identity and culture, a price the region is paying in return of the influx of foreign capital.