Profepa shuts 45 Quintana Roo resorts for eco violations

Quintana Roo, Mexico — As the Mexican government pushes to expand tourism, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) has closed 45 real estate and hotel developments in Quintana Roo for violating environmental regulations during construction. The crackdown highlights the tension between economic growth and ecological preservation in one of Mexico’s most popular tourist regions.

Regulatory Violations Prompt Closures

Between 2019 and April 2025, Profepa imposed closures on 45 projects in Quintana Roo’s tourist areas, with 21 located in the municipality of Benito Juárez and 24 in Playa del Carmen. While the agency did not disclose the names of the developments due to ongoing sanctioning procedures, transparency records reveal specific cases of noncompliance.

On February 2, 2024, Profepa shut down a development adjacent to the Royalton Riviera Cancún hotel complex in Benito Juárez for lacking "current authorization regarding environmental impact and/or exemption." Similarly, on May 7, 2024, inspectors halted construction in Playa Paraíso, Playa del Carmen, after discovering a 980-square-meter area filled with stony material (sascab) and an unauthorized 12-square-meter warehouse in a coastal scrub ecosystem.

Another closure occurred on May 31, 2022, when Profepa stopped construction near Nichupté Lagoon along Kukulcán Boulevard in Cancún’s hotel zone. The project lacked environmental impact authorization for work conducted on 484.44 square meters of coastal lagoon ecosystem. A September 10, 2019, case involved a development in Playa del Carmen’s federal maritime-terrestrial zone near Chac-hal-al Cove in the Puerto Aventuras complex, which proceeded without required permits.

Tourism Growth vs. Environmental Oversight

The closures coincide with President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s June 13, 2025, announcement of plans to make Mexico the world’s fifth-most-visited country by 2030—a 40% increase in tourism. She emphasized the sector’s economic importance, stating, "Tourism revenue is very important. Moving from sixth to fifth place is a very significant leap." The government aims to attract an additional three million tourists annually to achieve this goal.

However, Profepa’s enforcement actions reveal systemic disregard for environmental regulations. Of the 45 closures, 39 were due to lacking environmental impact authorizations or exemptions, while the remaining six involved other violations, such as noncompliance with official resolutions.

The cases underscore the risks of unchecked development in ecologically sensitive areas, particularly as Quintana Roo’s tourism industry continues to expand.