“Boost Culinary Tourism in Mexican Caribbean with Michelin Guide Stars!”

The National Chamber of Industry of Restaurants and Seasoned Foods (Canirac) is launching a promotional campaign to increase culinary tourism in the Mexican Caribbean. This comes on the heels of 20 Quintana Roo restaurants being featured in the Michelin Guide Mexico 2024. The goal of the campaign is to diversify tourism, boost the local economy, and increase restaurant sector income by improving products and services.

Canirac plans to provide training to the restaurant sector and aims for more restaurants to earn a star or recommendation in the next edition of the Michelin Guide. The focus is on Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel, and Isla Mujeres, which are known for their high-quality restaurants.

Julio Villarreal Zapata, the president of Canirac in Quintana Roo and Cancun, stated that the campaign is a national effort led by the Chamber, in partnership with Michelin in Mexico. The campaign will also be supported by the states featured in the guide, including Mexico City, Oaxaca, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Nuevo Leon, and Quintana Roo.

At the state level, Canirac plans to present the proposal to the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council (CPTQ), chaired by Governor Mara Lezama and directed by Andrés Martínez Reynoso. The goal is to incorporate it into the activities of the Committee for the Promotion of Quintana Roo's Gastronomy, which is led by the State Secretary of Tourism, Bernardo Cueto Riestra.

The campaign will also be shared with the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council (CHCM), as the inclusion of 20 restaurants in the Michelin Guide reflects the state's culinary offerings. The selection for the Michelin Guide Mexico 2024 was based on five criteria: product quality, cooking technique mastery, flavor harmony, chef personality as expressed in the dish, and consistency across the menu.

Three restaurants received a Michelin Star: Cocina de Autor by chef Nahum Velasco in Riviera Maya, Le Chique by Jonatan Gómez Luna in Puerto Morelos, and HA’ by Carlos Gaytan in Playa del Carmen. These restaurants are highly respected and sought after in the global culinary sector. Four other restaurants received the Big Gourmand for their commitment to offering excellent value for money, highlighting traditional or contemporary Mexican flavors.

The Michelin Guide Mexico 2024 also recommends 13 restaurants from Quintana Roo: Arca, Autor, Bu’ul, Casa Banana, El Fogón, Hartwood, Kiosko Verde, La Casa de las Mayoras, Maria Dolores, NÜ Tulum, Posada Margherita, Wild and Woodend. In total, the Michelin Guide Mexico 2024 features 157 restaurants, two of which in Mexico City, Pujol and Quintonil, received two Michelin Stars.