DestinationVillas.com editors report that the Mexican Federal Government has closed five small boutique hotels on Tulum’s breathtaking stretch of beaches. An additional five other developments are under investigation. The Mexican government alleges that the hotels were built on protected national park land and must be torn down. Until recently this area was mostly jungle. Potentially at risk is the land surrounding the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum.
Mexico is home to the world's seventh-largest hotel industry: 10,400 hotels, or 430,000 rooms Mexico Tourism Investment - according to statistics recently released by Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat (Sectur). Cancun and Riviera Maya is the third most sought after destination for American and Canadian tourists accounting for over $10 billion dollars, 8.3% of Mexico’s gross Domestic Product.
Thirty years ago Cancun was nothing more than a crescent shaped strip of land. Now the only stretch of land not overdeveloped is Tulum, a tiny hippie-style town that started as a backpacker retreat, recently has been transformed into an eco-chic resort. Hotel owners argue they've been there for up to two decades without problems, and their businesses are built around protecting the environment. Non-the-less, the government has posted closed signs on the small hotels requiring guests to vacate by July 11. Roberto Palazuelos, a Mexican actor and president of the Tulum Hotel Owners Association, says the federal government's paperwork to create the protected area in the 1980s was never done correctly. His Hotel Diamante K is among the five that have been closed.
The Mexican Government maintains that the developments do not show adequate titles and are too close to the Mayan Ruins. Tourism officials, siding with the hotel owners, are rallying to support them in the fight to keep their land. In the meantime, Rivieara Maya vacationers attempt to squeeze in one more day in paradise. Travelers wishing to complete their Mexico vacation are urged to find other suitable accommodations such as a
Mexico vacation rental home or condo.
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