Cozumel Maritime Businesses Demand Fair Marina Fees

Tourism service providers in the maritime sector on Cozumel island are still awaiting a response from the National Port System Administration (Asipona) about their proposal to regulate the fees at the Marina Cozumel maritime cavetto, which is located in the southern part of the island.

Following a change in the marina's administration, the costs for using the cavetto have surged by up to 1000%. This has led to uncertainty among users. The marina is now under the administration of Asipona of Puerto Progreso, a public company responsible for managing concessioned ports. This change has resulted in a dramatic increase in the costs of vessel stay. For instance, a fee that used to be 1,050 pesos has now skyrocketed to nearly 10,000 pesos. This has affected over 240 marina users, who argue that these rates are significantly higher than those at other similar facilities.

William Güemes Vidal, the president of the Cozumel Nautical Tourist Cooperative and a service user, stated, "We have already proposed what we can afford to pay, even slightly more than what we are currently paying, but we have not yet received a response from Rear Admiral Víctor Manuel Fernández Carrasco, who is in charge of Asipona de Progreso."

The maritime sector in Cozumel is urging for the establishment of a fair pricing system that won't hinder the operations of service providers but will also generate sufficient revenue for the Federation. However, they are yet to receive an official response regarding their proposal.

Maritime cavetto users are still waiting for Asipona to set new, affordable, and fair rates to avoid any negative impacts on tourism and the local economy.