Cancún Hotel Association Calls for Action on Airport Scandals

The Hotel Association of Cancún, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres is urging for an improvement in the performance of ASUR, the company that manages Cancún airport. The association is particularly keen on enhanced communication with authorities to prevent incidents that could harm the reputation of the popular tourist destination.

The call to action comes in the wake of a recent incident where a taxi driver at the airport charged a tourist a thousand dollars for a ride. Jesús Almaguer Salazar, president of the association, believes that this incident warrants a severe penalty to deter future occurrences. He argues that such incidents undermine efforts to attract more tourists and advocates for the removal of concessions from those who exploit their position within the airport. This incident led to the intervention of the National Guard who arrested the taxi driver.

The tourist, Canadian Xavier Cormier, shared his experience on social media, detailing the exorbitant charge for a transfer between terminals within Cancún airport. Despite the availability of free transportation, he required assistance from authorities, which ultimately resulted in the National Guard detaining the taxi driver.

Almaguer Salazar insists that ASUR, the holder of the airport concession, must address this issue, particularly concerning transportation, which significantly damages the destination's image. He suggests that better coordination with the authorities could help resolve such situations.

The issue of transportation has been a longstanding problem at the airport, with the business sector frequently demanding action. There is also an illegal transportation system operating within the terminals. On average, the airport handles 500 operations, including both arrivals and departures, across its three active terminals.