Hotel Industry Prepares for Sargassum Onslaught at Cancún

The hotel industry is gearing up for a potential influx of sargassum. Each establishment has allocated staff to handle this situation, with some hotels having up to 300 employees dedicated to this task.

This preparation was revealed during a donation event by the Cancún, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres Hotel Association to the Red Cross in Cancún. During the event, Jesús Almaguer Salazar, a representative of the association, mentioned that they had previously coordinated with the Naval Region representatives to install anti-sargassum barriers.

While there is no exact count, each hotel has developed plans based on the behavior of the sargassum. The use of these nets significantly reduces the impact of sargassum influx. The number of staff allocated to handle this issue varies depending on the size of the hotel.

Salazar also suggested that the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) should be more flexible when counting the population, especially in tourist areas. This is because state resources for various matters, including handling macroalgae, are allocated based on the population figures provided by this organization.

In tourist states like ours, we have up to 20 million temporary inhabitants throughout the year who demand and use public services. Therefore, it's crucial that Inegi takes this into account when determining resource allocation.

It's worth noting that in March of this year, the state government and the Navy Secretariat initiated the Sargassum 2024 project. This project, in coordination with private entities, NGOs, environmentalists, and civil society, aims to address the sargassum issue.

At the end of the 2023 season, less sargassum was recorded on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean. As part of the project, 11 coastal sargassum vessels were constructed, 16 smaller vessels with collecting devices were deployed, and 9,050 meters of barrier were installed.

In related news, Salazar commented on a recent incident where a Canadian tourist was charged a thousand dollars for a short taxi ride between terminals at the Cancún International Airport. He stressed that the airport operator, Asur, should address this issue. He suggested that the operator's concession should be revoked to set a precedent and urged Asur to establish effective communication with the relevant authorities to prevent similar incidents in the future.