Playa del Carmen subsoil study eyed for 2027

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A study to determine how contaminated the subsoil is in Playa del Carmen is among the projects that could be financed in 2027 with revenue from the city’s Environmental Sanitation Fee. The proposal will go to a vote in December.

The municipal government submitted its list of projects for review during a meeting of the trust that administers the funds, which brings together municipal authorities and representatives of the hotel sector. Carlos Constandse Madrazo, an executive with Grupo Xcaret, reported the details after the meeting.

Constandse Madrazo said the study would receive a significant share of the revenue projected for 2027. He said he expects the proposal to be approved in December so that work can begin next year.

Money collected from tourists staying in hotels will be supplemented by contributions from vacation rentals. Operators who offer that type of lodging will also be required to collect and withhold the fee.

The charge is calculated per room per night based on the Unidad de Medida y Actualización (UMA), the indexed unit used to set fees and fines in Mexico. The first guest in a room pays 30 percent of the UMA, the second 20 percent, the third 15 percent, and each additional guest from the fourth onward 10 percent.