Mahahual Business Owners Seek Clarity on Cruise-Funded Improvement Projects

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Business leaders in the coastal community of Mahahual are demanding more transparency about the urban improvement projects planned for the town and funded by a fee charged to cruise passengers, saying they have been given few details about the scope, cost, or timeline of the work.

Rodolfo Espadas Ixté, vice president of the Association of Tourism Entrepreneurs in the Costa Maya region, said local business owners were told that construction could begin in August, but no exact start date or duration has been confirmed. He added that the projects were never socialized with the business community, leaving them without technical information.

“As far as we know, work is tentatively supposed to start this month because the authorities already have the executive projects ready, but we don’t know those projects because they weren’t shared with the business sector,” Espadas said. “We’ve only been told the investment will come from the $5 fee collected from cruise passengers. The total amount hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s reportedly around 200 million pesos.”

Planned projects include rehabilitating the town’s boardwalk, building a walkway at the lighthouse, and improving streets — proposals the state government has promoted since last year to boost the destination.

Espadas acknowledged the need to offer tourists a better image, but said it is essential to know whether the work will address the community’s most pressing needs.

“We recognize the attention the state government is giving Mahahual for urban improvements; that can help give visitors a better image and attract more tourism,” he said. “But it would also be important to have more information about these projects to see whether what’s most urgent is included, because there are priority needs that should be part of the package, and if they are, it would greatly benefit the community.”

One of those priorities, he said, is the rehabilitation of the 56-kilometer access road to the tourist destination, which is full of potholes and damage from recent rains, affecting both residents and visitors.