Cancun Hotel Zone’s Funding Crisis Spells Trouble

The hotel zone of Benito Juarez in Cancun is set to start 2025 without a designated budget. The Trust for the Strengthening of Tourism Activity in Quintana Roo (Foatqroo), which took over from Fonatur in 2024 to handle conservation, maintenance, and construction in the tourist area, lacks the necessary funds to carry out its duties. Foatqroo's operations will be administratively dependent on the state's Ministry of Tourism, which was only allocated 221.2 million pesos.

Foatqroo representatives have stated that for the next year, only conservation and maintenance activities are planned for Kukulcán boulevard, with no construction work scheduled. They aim to establish a Decentralized Public Body (OPD) that can secure its own budget in the future.

In the meantime, the Cancun hotel zone, one of Latin America's most significant tourist destinations, is showing signs of concerning decay. This deterioration is evident in the increasing number of abandoned buildings and areas that were once bustling, which now contribute to the destination's decline.

Tourists have voiced complaints about the deteriorating conditions and unpleasant odors along different parts of Kukulcán boulevard. Other issues include inadequate signage, damaged urban infrastructure, and overwhelmed public services, all of which further tarnish the destination's image.