Maya Kaan Faces Key Challenges as Ecotourism Destination in Mexican Caribbean

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The Maya Kaan ecotourism destination in the Mexican Caribbean faces significant challenges in maintaining its low-density model and ensuring local communities benefit from tourism revenue, according to officials speaking at a recent tourism forum.

Gonzalo Alonso Merediz, director of Amigos de Sian Ka’an, outlined the priorities for 2026 during the third Women’s Forum organized by ACOTUR in Cancún. The event brought together business leaders and specialists to discuss female leadership, professional development, and inclusion in the region’s tourism industry.

“Since Maya Kaan’s official launch as a new ecotourism destination in July 2023, the challenges for 2026 are maintaining a low-density destination that generates foreign currency, distributes that revenue to local communities, and serves as a diversification factor for tourism in the state,” Merediz said.

He emphasized these challenges have become more pressing with new infrastructure developments in the region, including the Tulum Airport, the Maya Train, and the Puerta al Mar project in Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

“We must continue working so that Maya Kaan is not only promoted as a destination but considered as one that generates socio-environmental benefits for the area,” Merediz added.

The official stressed that protecting the destination requires coordinated efforts among various agencies and authorities who understand the concept and can shield it from potential threats.

“The openness of municipal, state, and federal authorities on this issue has been very important,” Merediz said. “We now have a great advantage that community tourism is being prioritized at the state and national levels, and legislators have been working on public policy in this direction. These will be tools that help protect this issue.”

Merediz noted Quintana Roo has already taken a significant step by creating a rural tourism development framework through the state tourism department, with Maya Kaan being the first destination decreed under this system.

“The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve provides an interesting example,” he explained. “The General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection stipulates that natural resources in a biosphere reserve can be used by local communities. So there’s already protection in place here, creating a precedent worth reinforcing.”

The forum also featured a presentation by athlete Eugenia Méndez, who shared insights from her Atlantic crossing journey, while businesswomen and leaders discussed female leadership experiences in the Mexican Caribbean tourism sector.