ADO Artisan Fair in Playa del Carmen Offers Vendors a Rent-Free Sales Space

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Ten artisans registered under the “Hecho en Playa” brand are selling their products directly to the public at the ADO Artisan Fair, a three-day event at the city’s bus terminal that gives vendors a showcase without the cost of renting a storefront.

The fair runs from Friday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 20, at the intercity bus terminal on Calle 20 between Calle 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Vendors are certified through the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), which grants the Hecho en Playa designation.

Hugo de la Fuente, who heads the ADO Foundation in the Caribe region, said the program is now in its fifth year and operates in several regions, not only Playa del Carmen. He said the fairs give local entrepreneurs a platform to boost their sales.

De la Fuente noted that the stalls at the terminal also give travelers a chance to pick up a last souvenir before departing, but he stressed that the most important benefit is that buyers purchase directly from the artisans themselves.

Craft Sales Drop as Much as 80 Percent in a Year

Jewelry maker Susana Elizabeth Yam said weekends are her strongest days for sales, but that business has become so difficult that her revenue has fallen by as much as 80 percent.

“Before, on a good day, we could make 700 to 800 pesos; now we come out with 200 pesos. The gap between what we used to sell and what we sell now, over the past year, is huge,” she said.

Yam said she has gone nearly six months without buying new materials and is now working from existing stock. She said the main advantage of taking part in the ADO program is that vendors pay no rent for their space.