Quintana Roo’s New Tourism Rules for Sustainability

Chetumal, Mexico — After 26 years, the Regulation of the Tourism Law of Quintana Roo has been updated with the objective of harmonizing state legislation with the current challenges facing the sector.

The new regulation guarantees coordination among the three levels of government and promotes the active participation of society, the private sector, and local communities under the principles of equity, inclusion, and sustainability.

As an instrument to support the current Tourism Law, its main objective is to accelerate economic dynamism with a humanist vision, in a balanced, inclusive, solidary, and sustainable manner. It contemplates, among its strategies, the diversification and innovation in the development of sustainable tourism products, the generation of tourism infrastructure and equipment, increasing the quality of services, and incorporating communities into the activity. This is done with the vision of incorporating shared prosperity throughout the state.

The Regulation of the Tourism Law of the State of Quintana Roo entered into force following its publication in the Official Newspaper of the State of Quintana Roo.

The regulation highlights work on eradicating the crimes of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, implying the transversality of actions from a multidimensional and multifactorial approach of the tourism standard in other ordinances. This includes the incorporation of the principles of the International Code for the Protection of Tourists, as well as the consolidation and operation of a Tourism Security Board, which already exists and is being worked on to raise awareness and reduce cases.

Other key elements include a support fund for emergency, disaster, and contingency situations; Sustainable Tourism Management Priority Zones and Rural Community Areas with Tourism Potential; Specialized Committees in Strategic Segments; the strengthening of the State Tourism Registry as a tool for organizing the tourism supply; and general guidelines for the coordinated and concurrent management of all elements that constitute the tourism sector.

Furthermore, the regulation aligns with the fourth objective of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and with the policies outlined in the State Development Plan (PED) 2023-2027. The plan seeks to execute forceful actions for the strengthening of tourism activity, which is reflected in the Inclusive Economic Development axis and the specific strategy of Sustainable Tourism and Economy, to trigger growth and boost economic reactivation, the internal market, and employment.

This also adds to the directive of the New Agreement for the Well-being and Development of Quintana Roo, which posits achieving shared prosperity through the promotion of priority sectors, such as tourism, as one of its core tenets.