New Revenue Sought for Cancun Hotel Zone Trust

Between September and October this year, a trust dedicated to the upkeep of Cancun's hotel zone is expected to be operational. This follows the separation of the National Tourism Promotion Fund (Fonatur) from these responsibilities.

The transition is being carefully managed to ensure no disruption to services. "We're working on the transfer agreement in Cancun and Cozumel, aiming to optimize attention to the hotel zone. Necessary legal regulatory adjustments will be made," said Felipe Fuentes del Río, head of the Quintana Roo Executive Power Legal Counsel.

This will be achieved through the state public administration's organic law and the Ministry of Tourism's internal regulations. The goal is to bolster the Secretariat and improve the planning of the hotel zone.

Fuentes del Río revealed that work on the transition began on January 4, 2024, the day the transfer agreement was signed with Fonatur. The focus has been on establishing an efficient administration and identifying payment sources for all services in the hotel zone.

"We're close to completing these tasks. The last allocation of resources from the federation is due in September. We plan to have completed this legal harmonization by October, and are on track to fully assume responsibility and provide proper attention to the hotel zone," he noted.

As part of this process, the trust is also exploring potential revenue streams. This is crucial for the maintenance of the hotel zones in Cancun and Cozumel.

"It's a trust without structure. We're currently under the federation's administration, which is between 155 to 215 million pesos. We're seeking our own income through rights or other means that don't generate new taxes or contributions from citizens," stated the state government's Legal Counselor.

Recently, hotelier José Antonio Chapur suggested addressing beach erosion by reactivating or opening a new trust. This would be funded by taxes charged to hoteliers for the use of the federal zone.