Hotel Industry Calls for Vacation Rental Regulations After Tourist Assault in Cancún

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The hotel industry in Quintana Roo is calling for stricter regulations on vacation rentals to protect tourist safety, following an assault on two foreign women in central Cancún that went viral on social media.

Miriam Cortés Franco, director of the Quintana Roo Vacation Clubs Association, said authorities must immediately establish clear rules defining where vacation rentals can operate, based on crime hotspot maps. “This warrants immediate action to ensure tourist safety,” she stated. “We need clear regulations that designate specific areas for vacation rentals, defined by crime incidence maps.”

Cortés Franco argued this approach would create zones that boost local economies through tourism while clearly prohibiting such accommodations in high-crime areas. “We can’t have scattered rentals all over Cancún—how do you protect the entire city? There are rentals in Villas Otoch, for example, and I have nothing against that, but crime maps show higher incidence there,” she added.

Municipal authorities hold responsibility for implementing these regulations, as the Tourism Law already provides a framework. Cortés Franco noted that Cancún is preparing its own municipal regulations, which she described as “well-developed.”

The assault referenced by the hotel executive occurred in Cancún’s Supermanzana 27, prompting authorities to launch a security operation. The Tourism Police and the Specialized Group for Attention to Family and Gender Violence provided support to the victims, including psychological care, legal advice, and accompaniment after the incident.

Officials requested public assistance to gather information that could help identify the four assailants and confirmed they maintain an operation in the area to capture them. Residents and tourists have reported additional robberies in Supermanzanas 27 and 28, where individuals on motorcycles are allegedly involved in violent thefts.