Tulum Business Leaders Launch Discount Card to Boost Local Economy

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Business leaders launched the “Somos Tulum” discount card Friday morning in an effort to revive the local economy in this coastal municipality.

Led by businessman and city councilman Jorge Portilla Mánica, the initiative has the backing of 50 local establishments, organizers said.

The card is free and will be available to any resident, with initial sign-ups taking place at Alma Animal Tulum. The program will roll out with a first batch of 1,000 cards, limited to people who can prove they live in Tulum.

“Those of us who live here and love Tulum — now is the time to get to know each other a little better,” Portilla Mánica said. “There are many innovative people who are starting businesses and betting on Tulum. Our commitment is to take action, not sit back and complain about the situation.”

The project offers a chance to generate action across Tulum’s economic and social sectors, especially among those with investments and productive activities in the municipality, he said. It is time to move beyond pointing out the difficulties the town faces and instead build proposals that improve its economic outlook.

The card is backed by the Tulum Business Coordinating Council, the Mexican Association of Women Business Owners (AMEXME), the National Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Services, the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (CANIRAC), the Tulum Tourism Promotion Council and the artisans’ committee of the Plaza Artesanal at the archaeological zone, among other groups.

Organizers called on more businesses to join the initiative. Registration is not yet open, but a platform will be launched in the coming days where interested residents can review requirements, check participating merchants and sign up.

In addition to Portilla Mánica, the presentation included Mario Cruz of the Tulum Tourism Promotion Council; Patricia de la Torre of the Tulum Business Coordinating Council; Regina Torres of Alma Animal; and Violeta Zapata of AMEXME, among others.

The announcement comes less than a month after the federal government published the “Plan Tulum Renace” in the Official Gazette of the Federation. That plan includes free entry to Parque del Jaguar and new fees for access to the archaeological zone and the natural protected area, aiming to boost tourism and economic activity in the municipality, which has been hit by sargassum and a drop in visitors.