Tulum Hoteliers Call for Action on Beach Vending

TULUM. Everyone in this municipality, authorities and citizens alike, should contribute to what is legal and what helps improve the destination’s image, stated David Ortiz Mena, president of the Tulum Hotel Association, who lamented the growing problem of street vending on the beaches.

In an interview, the businessman indicated that if there are claims labeling Tulum as a destination with chaos, and joint efforts are being made to reverse this, then it is counterproductive to allow a phenomenon that helps project that negative image to grow.

“There are those who say that ‘the sun rises for everyone’ to justify this type of street vending, but those who say that forget that, first and foremost, this is a prohibited activity. No one has permits to sell products on the beach,” stated the also president of the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council.

“To this is added the bad image and the fact that other illicit activities, including human trafficking, are hidden within street vending, which should concern us,” he elaborated.

There are foreigners or minors who engage in this practice, and, in the arrests of criminals, many turn out to have disguised themselves as street vendors, he added.

Authorities from the three levels of government have a very simple way to demonstrate that there is order in the destination, if they contain and stop this phenomenon, argued the hotel sector representative.

WORLD CUP 2026

On the other hand, David Ortiz Mena indicated that, although there is much expectation surrounding the 2026 World Cup, it is very difficult to predict what it will mean for the Mexican Caribbean in terms of tourist influx.

This sporting event brings many positive factors, such as two national teams making their base in Quintana Roo, and the fact that it will take place during the summer, which is a season that tests Tulum’s hotels.

“I have heard that the World Cup could contribute one million visitors, but I don’t know what those numbers are based on. I think it is difficult to predict,” he opined.

There is a possibility that those who come to this event will focus on the matches and not come to the Mexican Caribbean, but it is also true that it is a large audience that will arrive in Mexico, very close to the destinations of Quintana Roo.

It is still very early to see reservations, but it will be necessary to pay attention to these figures in the coming months, he indicated.