Cancun Business Owners Propose ‘Distrito Yaxchilán’ Initiative

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Concerned about falling sales, more than a dozen business owners along Avenida Yaxchilán in Cancún have held an initial meeting to plan the revival of their businesses and are proposing the creation of a “Distrito Yaxchilán” (Yaxchilán District).

Representatives from restaurants including Pescaditos, Enchiladas, Picaña, Pabilo, and Xbalamqué/Dogos, as well as spas, travel agencies, and other businesses such as 4 Elementos and Autóctona, attended the first meeting, according to Jesús Robles, a car rental entrepreneur.

Robles said the group aims to present the project to municipal authorities as a way to position the avenue as a tourist, gastronomic, cultural, and entertainment district. The plan would bring together lodging, restaurants, bars, entertainment, spas, cultural experiences, events, and services under a shared identity while respecting each establishment’s character.

The business owners also want to compile an updated directory of every establishment, owner, manager, and person responsible on Avenida Yaxchilán. A second meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, and the group intends to contact more tenants and include the “jaladores” — street touts who offer services to visitors, Robles explained.

As a next step, the “Distrito Yaxchilán” project will include research into Airbnb listings, hostels, and hotels in Cancún, especially those near Yaxchilán, to analyze pricing, supply, guest profiles, peak demand seasons, sought-after experiences, and competition.

The businesses are asking municipal authorities to develop a signage and urban identity proposal for the district, as well as to provide an office where owners can manage support, agreements, and permits for totems, signs, maps, and other identification elements. Robles said improving the avenue’s urban image is essential to creating a welcoming circuit for both residents and visitors, and he called for permanent security patrols from all three levels of government.