Cancun, Quintana Roo — Abandoned hotels and shopping malls in Cancun’s Hotel Zone will be included in a renovation program aimed at improving the image of the city’s main tourist corridor, according to the president of the Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres Hotel Association, Rodrigo de la Peña Segura.
De la Peña said the National Fund for Tourism Promotion (Fonatur) has offered to conduct a diagnostic of existing infrastructure in the hotel zone. Based on the results, authorities will work with the state government and the Municipal Planning Institute (IMPLAN) to define rehabilitation projects.
The hotel zone’s infrastructure is about 50 years old, De la Peña noted, making renovation essential to maintain the destination’s competitiveness.
“We have to renew ourselves, and that was proposed to the federal government. Although Fonatur will no longer operate as it did before, it will now support us through the trust fund with this diagnostic, which will be very useful,” he said.
Abandoned Properties to Be Addressed
De la Peña said the association is also seeking financial support for hotels to modernize their facilities through credit lines from institutions such as Bancomext and other financial organizations.
The renovation plan includes addressing negative visual impacts such as abandoned buildings, non-operating hotels, and deteriorated shopping plazas, as well as improving overall infrastructure along the tourist corridor.
“We have to work on infrastructure. Important changes are coming for the Hotel Zone, including these abandoned spaces and deteriorated plazas, which will add value to the destination,” he said.
De la Peña noted that Cancun faces strong international competition, especially from destinations like Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, so maintaining a renewed image will be key to continuing to attract visitors.
The diagnostic will also include the Malecón Tajamar area to assess its condition and possible improvements.
