Maya Train’s Tourist Appeal Questioned by Industry Expert

Sergio González Rubiera, the head of the Association of Travel Agencies for Inbound Tourism, has expressed skepticism about the Maya Train's potential as a tourist attraction. He argues that the train is better suited to freight transport and will primarily serve to address logistical issues in southeast Mexico.

Rubiera voiced his concerns at the Cancún Travel Mart, a gathering of Quintana Roo's tourism entrepreneurs. He suggested that the project was ill-conceived from the start. He said, "The assumption was that the 20 million tourists who visit the Mexican Caribbean annually would be drawn to the train. However, it was not considered that these tourists are unlikely to forego a night at an all-inclusive hotel to travel to Palenque on a train with frequent breakdowns."

Rubiera suggested that for the Maya Train to be a successful tourist attraction, it would need to target a specific demographic, particularly culture enthusiasts, and promote heavily in European countries. He stressed the importance of specialized marketing and promotional strategies, something he believes the military personnel overseeing the train's operation lack understanding of.

He also hinted at the train's absence from the Travel Mart, suggesting it was to avoid answering questions about the operational issues plaguing the project. He criticized the lack of commercial vision for the Maya Train, concluding, "It's just as well that the Maya Train is not present, it is not missed."