Cancún Hotels Demand Airbnb Ban Amid Tourism Clash

Cancún, Mexico — Tensions are escalating in the Mexican Caribbean. The formal hotel sector has issued an ultimatum to authorities: to prohibit, not just regulate, vacation rentals in Cancún and Quintana Roo. Business leaders are denouncing the government's tolerance of platforms like Airbnb, arguing they represent unfair competition by operating illegally, even as urgent safety regulations are being sought.

The Hotel Sector's Ultimatum: Eliminate the Platforms

The debate over the operation of vacation rental platforms in Quintana Roo reached a critical point on October 27, 2025. Abelardo Vara, honorary president of the Association of Hotels of Cancún, Puerto Morelos & Isla Mujeres (AHCPMIM), has strongly criticized authorities for what he considers an excessive "tolerance" towards these platforms. Vara maintains that they operate illegally and represent unfair competition for the established formal hotel industry.

His statements, gathered by Caribe Peninsular, are forceful: "It is inconceivable that the government continues to allow the operation of illegal platforms. They should not regulate them; they should eliminate them. If they want to enter the hotel industry, they should comply with the same rules that all of us comply with," the hotel leader stated.

This call for a total ban underscores the deep division in Mexico's primary tourist destination.

Fair Regulation and Safety: The Priority for ACLUVAQ

In contrast with the hotel leader's radical stance, other business sectors are advocating for urgent regulation focused on tourist safety. Miriam Cortés Franco, director of the Association of Vacation Clubs (Acluvaq), revealed that work is already underway to implement new rules in Cancún. The initiative arises from the detection of vacation rentals, for both houses and apartments, that are not part of known platforms like Airbnb.

Cortés Franco explained the need to coordinate with the state and municipal government for this purpose: "For some time now, we began work with the Benito Juárez Municipality (Cancún) to achieve fair regulation, but especially to provide security for tourists and for those who live nearby," said Cortés Franco, according to Sipse.

The director of Acluvaq clarified that the advances depended on state legislative processes. "It was necessary to wait for the changes to the State Tourism Law in order to then make the municipal changes. We have had openness and we are making progress. Therefore, regulations that are urgent could soon be achieved," she added.

Although the main focus is safety, Acluvaq recognizes the sector's positive economic impact. Cortés Franco indicated that "we recognize that the tourism that comes to vacation rentals generates an economic spillover, employment, and their stays should be in safe accommodations. Although the most important thing is to take care of our tourists."

The Government's Perspective: Tourism Isn't Declining, It's Being Distributed

While the business sector debates between prohibition and regulation, the Governor of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, has minimized the perception of a tourism crisis, affirming that the problem is not a decrease in visitors, but the way accommodation is distributed. According to the governor, the tourist flow has been channeled towards new lodgings and platforms like Airbnb.

In previous statements, reported by REPORTUR.mx, Lezama had made her position clear: "I want to make it clear. Tourism has not decreased. In Tulum we are working to ensure beach access is public, and in Playa del Carmen and Cancún the flights are packed," Lezama assured at the time.

This official stance suggests that, for the moment, the government strategy is leaning towards managing the new market reality, rather than yielding to the demand for a total ban pushed by the traditional Cancún hotel industry.

The pressure on the Benito Juárez Municipality and the Quintana Roo government is undeniable. Achieving a balance between the economic spillover generated by vacation rentals and the safety demanded by the formal hotel sector will be the administration's trial by fire in 2025.