Quintana Roo Targets Child Exploitation in Hotels and Airbnb

Quintana Roo, Mexico — The Quintana Roo Congress is advancing a reform initiative aimed at curbing sex tourism by requiring hotels and digital lodging platforms to verify the relationship between adults and minors during check-in. If the relationship cannot be confirmed, establishments must immediately notify authorities.

Closing the Gaps in Child Exploitation Prevention

The proposal, introduced by Labor Party (PT) legislator Hugo Alday, seeks to amend the state’s Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents. Quintana Roo has faced national and international scrutiny as a hotspot for child sexual exploitation, particularly in its tourism-heavy regions.

“Quintana Roo can no longer be a destination where predators find impunity. The state has been repeatedly flagged by international organizations as a critical zone for child exploitation,” Alday stated.

The reform includes key adjustments to encompass digital platforms like Airbnb by adding terms such as “host,” “technology platform,” and “lodging service” to the legal framework. It outlines measures to prevent, detect, and penalize the use of lodging services for sexual exploitation—a problem that has grown alongside the region’s tourism boom.

Updated Penalties and Enforcement

The initiative also proposes shifting penalty calculations from minimum wage to the Unit of Measurement and Updating (UMA), ensuring fines remain current and more effective.

This marks Alday’s second attempt to pass the legislation. His first effort, during the previous legislative session, stalled in the Commission for Family Development and Vulnerable Groups and was later archived.

“Children cannot keep waiting. We cannot allow this initiative to gather dust in a drawer again. We must act to protect our girls and boys,” Alday emphasized.

If approved, Quintana Roo would become Mexico’s first state to implement specific controls preventing child trafficking in both traditional and digital lodging services.