Hotel Association Pushes for Crisis Committee to Shield Cancun Tourism

Cancun, Quintana Roo — The National Association of Hotel Chains (ANCH) is pushing for the creation of a crisis committee to standardize response protocols for security incidents, gender violence, and human trafficking, aiming to protect Mexico’s tourism destinations.

Givette Pérez Orea, ANCH’s general director, said the initiative is being coordinated with the three host cities of the upcoming World Cup to safeguard the country’s image and tourist destinations through a comprehensive security and prevention strategy.

Pérez Orea explained that federal authorities have recognized the urgency of managing destination perception, and a federal crisis management plan is already in place, focusing on key source markets like the United States and Canada to mitigate the impact of international press coverage that could affect visitor numbers.

Regarding recent violence at archaeological sites and its potential effect ahead of the World Cup, Pérez Orea noted that a “soft” approach to direct and timely communication is being used.

“Our indicators are always the travel warnings, and so far, even after the most significant event in February, the travel warning was gone within a day,” she said, emphasizing close ties with embassies and consulates.

She added that diplomatic missions have provided training to hotel chains on gender violence and child protection, acknowledging that while any violent incident is regrettable, these are specific situations that do not necessarily dictate a tourist’s final decision to visit the country.

On security infrastructure at historical sites and monuments, Pérez Orea stressed that Mexico’s tourism competitiveness depends on maintaining international standards, requiring constant protocol reviews. “As an industry, protocols must be reviewed constantly for all types of events,” she said.

The ANCH also highlighted its social commitment through agreements with international organizations like UNICEF to combat child exploitation.

“We signed a very important agreement with UNICEF regarding a blue card; if we all adhere to this protocol, half a million people would be trained to be alert and detect whenever they see a child in a risky situation,” Pérez Orea explained.