INAH Union Fights for Tulum Site Revenue Control

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The National Union of Workers for the Secretary of Culture has called on the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to defend its legal authority to manage revenue from the Tulum archaeological site, following the transfer of ticketing control to Grupo Mundo Maya (formerly Gafsacomm) this week.

Alleged Violation of INAH’s Legal Mandate

José Enrique Vidal Dzul Tuyub, Secretary General of the union’s National Executive Committee, stated that the move violates INAH’s Organic Law, which mandates the institute’s oversight of research, conservation, and dissemination of Mexico’s cultural heritage.

“This is an irregularity that obstructs the constitutional right to access culture. It raises costs for Mexican visitors and diverts funds that should be reinvested in restoration and research,” he said.

Tulum is the third most-visited archaeological site in Mexico, after Teotihuacán and Chichén Itzá. In 2024, it recorded 1,115,424 visitors—116,527 domestic and 736,802 foreign—generating an estimated 350 million pesos annually. Dzul Tuyub argued that direct control of these funds would allow for full restoration and expanded research at the site.

Insufficient Federal Funding

The union leader noted that INAH receives just over 3 billion pesos annually from the federal government to manage 187 archaeological zones, one paleontological site, and 126 museums nationwide—a budget he deemed inadequate.

“These revenues are not reflected in our core functions of research, conservation, and public education regarding archaeological and anthropological heritage,” he said.

Accusations of Opacity

Dzul Tuyub also accused INAH’s new director general, Joel Omar Vázquez Herrera, of failing to respond to official inquiries about the case, calling it a lack of transparency.

“It seems the goal is to hide the truth from the public while maintaining a revenue-driven approach through parallel entities like Conanp and Grupo Mundo Maya. This is even more serious because it involves a state-affiliated organization,” he warned.

Appeal to President Sheinbaum

The union urged President Claudia Sheinbaum to intervene directly, comparing the situation to the controversial replacement of auxiliary police with private security at the National Museum of Anthropology, which endangered cultural assets.

“She likely isn’t aware of these issues, just as she wasn’t informed about the security changes. It’s unbelievable that we celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Peoples while weakening the institutions tasked with protecting our heritage,” Dzul Tuyub concluded.