Cozumel Hotels Target Athletes with Training Programs

Cozumel, Mexico — The Cozumel Hotel Association (AHCZM) has introduced a new strategy to increase occupancy in its establishments by creating a training season aimed at athletes participating in the island’s sports competitions, according to the organization’s president, Beatriz Tinajero Tarriba. She specified that the plan includes setting up specialized boot camps for athletes, leveraging Cozumel’s natural conditions as part of their preparation.

Tinajero explained that triathletes who compete in the two versions of IRONMAN already reside on the island, recognizing the marine currents as a challenge for swimming and the eastern zone winds as a test for cycling events. The idea is to capitalize on these characteristics to offer training programs that allow athletes to improve their performance while generating a steady flow of visitors in the periods leading up to competitions.

The leader recalled that sporting events have a direct impact on hotel occupancy. In 2021, during an edition of IRONMAN, occupancy reached 90 percent in months where rates typically only reach 40 or 50 percent.

Cozumel is positioning itself as a sports preparation destination with specialized infrastructure. In the last full IRONMAN, figures showed a progressive increase: 72 percent on Wednesday, November 19; 78 percent on Thursday, November 20; 82 percent on Friday, November 21; 87 percent on Saturday, November 22; and 86 percent on Sunday, November 23. A week earlier, without the appeal of the long weekend, occupancy barely reached 65 percent.

The president of AHCZM highlighted that the island has world-class infrastructure and trainers, and additional specialists can be hired to strengthen the offer. The goal is for the next season to achieve a greater presence of athletes from weeks before the events, which would extend economic benefits and consolidate Cozumel as a comprehensive sports destination.

With this strategy, the hotel sector seeks to diversify the tourist offer and take advantage of the growing popularity of high-performance competitions, positioning the island not only as a venue for international events but also as a space for preparation and training for athletes from different parts of the world.