Cozumel, Quintana Roo — The Cozumel Vivo Fest has evolved beyond a traditional festival into a collective action movement aimed at driving sustainability on the island, according to Beatriz Tinajero Tarriba, president of the Cozumel Hotel Association.
Held from July 10 to 12, the event featured sports and cultural activities such as open-water swimming, freediving, scuba diving, snorkeling, temazcal ceremonies, and ball games. But this year, organizers placed greater emphasis on conversations and workshops designed to build alliances among citizens, business owners, and authorities.
“We know that if the sea is dirty, visitors might stop coming. Now we need to ask ourselves how we will work together to regenerate what has been damaged and preserve what we have,” Tinajero Tarriba said.
Among the achievements announced were 25 businesses signing a responsible business pledge, approval of environmental sanitation projects under the DSA program, and confirmation of 120 million pesos in water treatment investments from CAPA. The water authority also agreed to conduct tours with independent technicians to verify the work.
The festival also served as a platform to establish a governance table aimed at formalizing the destination management body, with support from state and federal governments. Key challenges identified include pollution in Laguna Ciega and the need for independent studies on Isla de la Pasión, where sludge and wastewater are suspected of harming the ecosystem.
Tinajero Tarriba said Cozumel could become a regional pioneer in ecosystem regeneration, noting that Cancún is advancing on de-plasticization projects while Bacalar faces drainage issues. “We want Cozumel to take a leadership role in collective action, and all efforts must be aligned with the state sustainability law 20-50, which already has teeth and must be enforced,” she said.
