Cancun is more than just a beach; the city is committed to inclusion and sustainability.
Cancun, the renowned Mexican tourist destination, offers more than just white sandy beaches and turquoise waters.
The city is undergoing a transformative phase, revitalising and reinventing its city centre. Efforts are underway to encourage tourists to venture beyond
their hotels, explore the city, and connect with the locals, as emphasised by the city’s municipal president (mayor), Ana Patricia Peralta, during FITUR Madrid last week.
The city is diversifying its offerings to champion more inclusive and sustainable tourism.
Consequently, from 19th to 22nd March, the city will host the Ibero-American Congress on Sustainable, Fair, and Inclusive Tourism. This event will bring together airlines, politicians, and entrepreneurs from the hospitality industry, aiming to “exchange the best practices of sustainable and inclusive tourism,” as highlighted by Peralta.
The city is embracing a form of tourism seen as “fair,” aiming to create “positive impacts on communities and locals” while also “respecting their customs, and, most importantly, bringing benefits” to them, she added.
To enhance environmental conservation efforts, the city is focusing on upgrading its waste management practices. In July 2023, a landfill concession was terminated due to its potential environmental impact.
Peralta stated, “We aim to approach waste management differently, more effectively, and attract companies committed to better practices.”
Moreover, the city is intensifying efforts to clean its urban cenotes – deep freshwater caves considered sacred by the Mayans – located within public parks through a dedicated cleaning programme. The initiative encourages community involvement in their preservation, aiming to alleviate the pollution these wetlands have faced. Over 2,000 kg of waste has been removed since 2019.
On another note, Peralta celebrated the opening of the Mayan Train: “We wholeheartedly embrace the Mayan Train. It will not only bring economic benefits but also deliver social justice to many communities that are completely marginalised and distant.” The city “will have the largest station in the entire circuit,” she added. She also emphasized the accompanying reforestation program, aiming to plant 500 million fruit and timber trees in southeastern Mexico, along with the expansion of protected natural areas.
The city’s mayor pointed out that in 2024, there are plans for “around five new international routes” from Cancun International Airport, which set a record in 2023 with 32.7 million arrivals (compared to 31 million in 2022).
Regarding the sargassum that has been covering intermittently the beaches of Cancun in recent years, Peralta stated that companies are utilising it to produce “biofertilizer, both in liquid and powder form”.
Finally, she celebrated that in 2023, there was “the largest sea turtle nesting season in history.