Unveiling Challenges Impacting Mexico’s Tourism Industry

The Mexican Association of Travel Agencies for Inbound Tourism (AMATUR) recently presented a report at the "Prosperous, Inclusive and Sustainable Mexico" Forum in Cancún. The document highlighted various challenges affecting the competitiveness of Mexico's tourism sector. These include issues such as sargassum (seaweed), aggressive taxi drivers, and neglected archaeological sites, all of which require attention to uphold Mexico's high tourism standards and attract more visitors.

AMATUR is urging the Federation to advocate for a distinct Transportation Law for tourism. This law would establish specific rules and regulations separate from those for Uber drivers, taxi drivers, or any other type of transport. Sergio González Rubiera, the sector leader, has consistently shared this document in all discussions with the federal authority and updates it as these issues are addressed.

Rubiera emphasized the necessity for a unique Transport Law for tourism in the National Plan. He argued that the existing Transport Law is too broad, encompassing many areas, including tourist transport. He believes that the tourism industry should have a specific law that clearly defines the regulations governing federal license plates, their scope, and functionality.

This proposal has been under discussion for a while, and forums like these are seen as opportunities to advance this initiative through Sectur. This would be highly beneficial for the country, according to Rubiera. He also noted that the proposal includes long-standing issues such as the large influx of sargassum, aggressive taxi drivers, unauthorized transportation, and street vendors at archaeological sites like Chichen Itza. These are all factors that impede tourism activity in Mexico and need to be addressed.