Cancun’s Tourism Reset: Regenerative Travel Takes Center Stage

Cancun — Regenerative tourism will be one of Quintana Roo’s key priorities as the state seeks to lessen the environmental effects of tourism activity, said Andrés Aguilar, undersecretary of Tourism for Quintana Roo.

He said the strategy includes plans to establish the Cancun Destination Management Body. An evaluation committee selected its members, and its work will include coordinating the actions needed to renew the city’s tourism model.

According to Aguilar, the body will take up matters involving coordination between different levels of government, sustainability, tourist security and other issues connected to renewing the destination.

“What I can tell you is that this management body will be reviewing issues related to collaboration with different government entities, sustainability issues, tourism security issues, issues specific to Cancun, and everything related to the renewal of the Cancun destination,” he said.

Aguilar also said the transformation will be paired with infrastructure projects, among them the Nichupté Bridge, the Colosio Boulevard and the remodeling of the Cancun International Airport, as well as a wider diversification of the tourism offer.

On that point, he said the private sector is developing alternatives in medical, sports, nature and gastronomic tourism, with the goal of broadening the segments that visit the destination.

The undersecretary said the strategy must also take into account Cancun’s growth as a city, which is nearing one million inhabitants, rather than considering only its status as a tourist destination.

He noted that renewal of the Cancun brand is also being assessed because of the changes the city has experienced since the destination’s tourist identity was created in the 1970s.

“Renewing the Cancun brand is one of the things the Promotion Council has been evaluating. It’s a brand that we know dates back to 1970, and the brand’s values and attributes have changed,” he said.

Aguilar added that the Cancun Destination Management Organization will seek to join forces under this new vision, considering both tourism activity and the needs of a city that has seen significant population growth.