Cancún, Quintana Roo — Beach cleanups alone will not protect the Mexican Caribbean’s tourism competitiveness unless accompanied by a national promotion strategy and crisis management plan, according to David Ortiz Mena, president of the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council.
Ortiz Mena warned that competitors such as the Dominican Republic are gaining ground by running permanent campaigns in source markets that showcase positive images of their coasts during sargassum season. In contrast, he said, Mexico’s brand is often associated with photos of massive seaweed accumulation, damaging international perception and influencing travelers’ decisions.
While acknowledging the work of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council (CPTQ), funded by hotel occupancy taxes, Ortiz Mena stressed that the federal government must resume an active role in strengthening the country’s brand and responding quickly to environmental contingencies.
He welcomed President Claudia Sheinbaum’s decision to involve the federal government directly in tackling the problem, which for years fell mostly on the private sector.
“The hotel sector remains willing to invest in containment and collection, but responsibility must be shared among all three levels of government to ensure competitiveness, preserve jobs, and protect our beaches,” Ortiz Mena said.
In his role as president of the Tulum Hotel Association, Ortiz Mena also met with Quintana Roo Tourism Secretary Bernardo Cueto Riestra to coordinate efforts to promote a more diverse, authentic local tourism offering that complements the sun-and-beach appeal.
The hotel industry’s position underscores the need for a two-pronged approach: physical containment of sargassum along the marine strip and an institutional communication counteroffensive that projects the true reality of Mexican Caribbean destinations to the world.
