Tulum’s 128-Step Plan to Fix Tourism Chaos

Tulum, Mexico — Tulum is at a pivotal moment. After years of accelerated growth, real estate pressures, and conflicts over coastal access, federal and state authorities have presented "Tulum Renace: más justo, seguro y sostenible" (Tulum Reborn: more just, safe, and sustainable), a strategy featuring 128 actions designed to bring order to the destination and confront the urban and environmental impacts of tourism.

More than a promotional plan, the project proposes a profound reorganization based on four fronts: regulation of tourist attractions, responsible urban and environmental management, development and promotion, and infrastructure improvements.

Although the strategy is broad, one of the most highlighted points is the opening of public access points to the beaches, a topic that has generated tensions for years.

Rules for a Saturated Destination

The strategy focuses on one of the most evident problems: the lack of regulation governing how tourist activity functions. To address this, permanent price monitoring will be implemented through "Quién es quién" (Who's Who), and a regulation for the proper use of beaches will be developed, aiming to prevent irregular occupations and organize the relationship between businesses and public space.

The Urban and Environmental Challenge

Another central pillar of the plan is the updating of urban development programs, a tool intended to prevent Tulum from continuing to grow without drainage, without sufficient infrastructure, or in environmentally fragile zones. This is coupled with a Comprehensive Ecological Zoning Program, which aims to establish clear limits in areas where real estate development has displaced mangroves, jungle, and dunes.

Authorities have insisted that this zoning not only responds to tourist pressure but also to the need to reduce environmental risks in an area where infrastructure has been overwhelmed by demand.

New Routes and a Renewed Narrative

The tourism promotion axis includes the creation of the campaign "Tulum Renace más seguro, justo y sostenible" (Tulum Reborn: safer, more just, and sustainable), with which the aim is to diversify the offerings and promote routes and experiences beyond the beach. An events calendar with cultural and recreational activities is also being prepared to redistribute the flow of visitors.

Finally, the strategy contemplates the recovery and creation of public spaces. Among them, the opening of new beach access points and the consolidation of a sports and recreational corridor in the Parque del Jaguar (Jaguar Park) stand out, designed to offer alternatives for social use in a destination where common space has been progressively reduced.