Royal Caribbean’s Cozumel Beach Club Faces Environmental Scrutiny

Cozumel, Mexico — Royal Caribbean has detailed that it will implement mitigation, restoration, and environmental conservation measures to ensure sustainability and preserve critical ecosystems in the development of its Beach Club in Cozumel, a project for which it has submitted an Environmental Impact Statement (MIA).

According to the company, while the MIA indicates that the project polygon will cover 17.1 hectares, the project’s utilization area is limited to 5.39 hectares; the remaining 12.03 hectares will remain as free areas (without construction).

As reported by El Financiero, of the 15 elements evaluated in the MIA, 6 of them will suffer severe damage in some stages of the tourism project.

The severe environmental damages, classified as such in the company’s own analysis, are related to the reduction of vegetation cover (medium subperennial forest), the impact on mangrove individuals, the loss of flora species—some native—and the reduction of wildlife habitat areas.

In this regard, the company stated that the document itself specifies a “robust mitigation, restoration, and conservation plan for each impact.”

According to Cozumel residents, the Royal Caribbean Beach Club project will privatize the last public beach in the area, so they are asking the government to deny the permits for the project to proceed.

“The barrier imposed by a private beach club would also negatively impact conservation efforts, by limiting the participation of volunteers and environmental groups working to protect the area’s flora and fauna,” states a petition circulated on Change.org.

What is the importance of Cozumel as a tourist destination?

Cozumel is the main cruise ship destination in Mexico; however, the island’s residents believe there is sufficient tourist infrastructure to serve the travelers who visit that area of the country each year.

“This project has greater proximity to the Cozumel Reefs National Park, which means the impact could be greater. They would be ending public coexistence and worsening dependence on public services, which will be at the disposal of the cruise lines,” said Rodrigo Huesca, an environmental activist from Cozumel.

It is worth remembering that opposition to large tourism projects is ongoing in Cozumel, as activists and residents managed to stop the fourth pier project on the island.

In this regard, the company clarified that it is not a privatization of beaches, but rather the cruise line will obtain a concession to use the beach as part of its project.

“Obtaining a federal concession does not constitute privatization stricto sensu; clarifying this distinction would help contextualize public perception,” the company concluded.