Tulum Hoteliers Seek Festival Permit Review After Violence

Tulum, Mexico — Following violent incidents at a music festival in Tulum, the president of the local hotel association, David Ortiz Mena, has called for reconsideration of the organization of mass events, weighing the benefits against the lasting negative image they have left on the destination.

Both the type of music and the atmosphere surrounding the festival, which left one person dead, indicated in advance that the entire event could spiral out of control, the hotelier stated.

The leader of the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council also considered that the capacity of roads, access points, and venues available in Tulum can hardly handle the high concentrations of people that these types of festivals attract.

“So yes, we question the economic spillover they cause, which of course is good, but it lasts a few days, however, they damage the destination’s image for the entire year,” Ortiz Mena said.

He called on authorities to evaluate the consequences of such events when authorizing them.

“Remember, Tulum has between 40,000 and 45,000 inhabitants; it seems incredible that events attracting 20,000 or 25,000 attendees are permitted. We must be aware that these events have consequences. What I propose is to assess whether it’s worth risking the destination’s image in exchange for a few days of income,” he added.

Violent Incident at Electronic Music Festival

The event Ortiz Mena referred to occurred during the early hours of Friday, January 9, when an attack took place that left one person dead while the electronic music festival Zamna was being held in Tulum.

The Quintana Roo State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) opened an investigation file for qualified homicide. The main line of investigation points to a direct attack related to drug dealing.

Authorities stated that the incident did not endanger the general security of attendees, although witnesses on social media reported moments of panic and criticized the secrecy with which the situation was handled to avoid stopping the show.