Save Eco Destinations

Finally, something is going right in the Yucatan! This just in from Cancun:

Cancun has taken another step forward in its commitment to sustainable tourism and offers since June a community network, appropriately called Puerta Verde (Green Door), which will allow visitors to travel with Asociacion Civil Kanche along a route of sea and jungle operated by 14 co-ops comprised of seven Maya communities from the municipality of Lazaro Cardenas. Twenty-three activities are offered, allowing a wide range of combinations: from one-day trips to a complete itinerary of four days and three nights. When visitors travel to Puerta Verde with Kanche, the co-ops are paid directly for their services and a percentage of the earnings are reinvested in projects to improve the natural and cultural wealth of the area.

First the government shut down a series of ecohotels in Tulum, now they’re considering what to do about the consequences of all the bad press they’ve received.

Plan launched to offset Tulum’s bad image. By Veronica Alfonso. The Sub-secretary for Tourism Promotion stated that in order to counter Tulum’s bad press, they are contacting tour operators and travel agencies, so that tourism, especially European, is not affected…The agency said that the main concern from visitors is armed forces, as well as if the archeological area is still open. El Quintanarroense.

Here’s another good one for Tulum…while Profepa is considering demolishing a series of small ecohotels along the coast, the nearby biosphere reserve is being wiped out. What can be done here?!

Sian Ka’an’s destruction goes unpunished. While the Reserve is being destroyed, Profepa continues its crusade in Tulum. Constructions within the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, continue unpunished due to Profepa’s ineffectiveness. Areas of mangrove forest and protected species like the chit palm tree have been wiped out in order to raise concrete masses, with the consent of environmental authorities. Mansions like Casa Palancar, once Casa Rubi, owned by Hollywood actress Yvette Mimieux Montemayor, or Casa David were projects allowed in the protected area. Por Esto.

Two more hotels closed down. By Romana Mora. The Profepa has already closed down eight buildings and two more have been summoned and will be sanctioned accordingly. At approximately 10 am on Thursday Profepa officers arrived at the National Park for the third consecutive day, after Tuesday’s inspection of the premises Zazil kin, La Vita e Bella and La Condesa to corroborate environmental impact, federal zones, and soil use in forest areas. The investigation ended at 11 pm that same day. La Vita e Bella and la Condesa both had 80% occupancy at the time of the event. The manager of La Condesa was not informed that he should ask his guests to leave, and he was willing to reimburse all guests, for fear that he would receive further sanctions from federal authorities for continuing business. Por Esto.

Here’s two bits of local news (fairly similar), translated from Spanish. So as you can see, MORE ecohotels are in danger in this area. What can be done about this?

Environment: The situation gets hotter in Tulum. Hotels that do not legalize their current situation will be demolished. The Attorney General for Environmental Protection Patricio Patron Laviada stated that if hotels recently closed down in the Tulum area do not show proof of environmental permits they will be closed down permanently and demolished. The Attorney General further stated that outside Tulum and Cancun, there may be other hotels in Acapulco and Baja California Sur and Nayarit with similar sanctions for environmental damage and insufficient documentation. Mr. Patron Laviada denied any knowledge of the challenging declarations made by actor Roberto Palazuelos, owner of one of the hotels affected in Tulum, Diamante K, and added that in these cases the Profepa will continue its work to enforce environmental laws… Diario de Yucatan.

Profepa goes mad. Patricio Patron Laviada talks of demolishing hotels. EL UNIVERSAL. The Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Profepa) designed a system to detect those hotels that do not have the necessary documentation and affect the natural surroundings, as is the case with the hotel Diamante K in Tulum, owned by actor Roberto Palazuelos, which may be demolished to restore the areas where they were built. In the occasion of Profepa’s 16th anniversary, the head Patricio Patron Laviada said that the most problematic areas are Tulum and Cancun, Acapulco and several areas in Baja California Sur and Nayarit. The Attorney General also said that hotels will be sanctioned for their negative environmental impact and for lacking the necessary documentation. He further added that besides the six hotels closed down in Tulum, there are two others under surveillance: Rancho Jaguar and Caleta Tankah. Diario de Quintana Roo.

It’s too bad local governments don’t do more to protect and support these types of establishments, rather than promoting massive development. One example that has been all over the internet and the international news lately is the closing of several ECO HOTELS in Tulum, located in the heart of the Riviera Maya in Mexico.

Tulum has been known as an eco destination for years, with a string of rustic boutique cabanas along the coast. Travelers that have been enjoying this area for years say that Tulum is changing. With the increase in visitors over the years, land prices are through the roof, accommodations are increasing in price, and an airport is scheduled to be built nearby.

You can’t stop progress, of course, but development can be planned differently. Unfortunately, it looks like the same mega resorts that have popped up all along the Riviera Maya coastline south of Playa del Carmen are trying to push their way into Tulum.

The first change was the opening of the Eurostars Blue hotel (formerly called Azul Blue) in Tulum, located at the entrance to the Tulum hotel (cabana) zone. This hotel is a giant concrete nightmare, with electricity wired in from the Tulum pueblo (all other hotels along the coast operate without electricity, using solar or eolic power, or small generators).

The second major change is now under construction: Aldea Zamá (translated as Zamá Village, formerly known as Downtown Tulum). The website describes this development as a combination of lots for single family homes, commercial and town center lots, and luxury condos. It’s located in what is now a lush patch of green tropical jungle between Tulum pueblo and the boutique cabana zone on the beach.

It’s also located next to a “golf, spa, and residential resort” that includes part of the Tulum coastline (this is the latest update on their website. The original map included the golf course as part of the entire project). ANOTHER golf course on the beach in the Riviera Maya? I think we can start saying goodbye to the thriving coral reef located offshore, which has been a major attraction for divers and snorkelers for years.

Naturally, the travelers who have enjoyed Tulum for years (many return on an annual basis, some even multiple times a year), are concerned about this mega development, which will surely change the feel of what used to be a haven for travelers seeking a relaxing vacation in a natural environment. The other day on TripAdvisor.com, I read the following: “It’s like killing the Goose that laid the golden egg, and selling it as fried chicken.” (username: mimac)

When will local governments start to realize the value of preserving the smaller eco destinations? The average hotel rates in Tulum have skyrocketed over the years, changing this destination from a backpacker’s haven to an eco getaway where many of the boutique cabanas boast higher rack rates than the average AI.

The small eco developments of Tulum have, of course, much less impact on all levels: they require fewer staff members and can usually rely on hiring locals rather than importing staff from other communities around the country, causing major problems with lack of housing and an abrupt culture change with such a large influx of residents from other regions. The sudden overpopulation caused by the construction of mega resorts also contributes to sudden need for infrastructure in areas that lack it, and increased contamination. Because they have fewer staff members, small hotels don’t require huge tour buses to cart their staff from neighboring communities to the workplace.

In the case of Aldea Zamá, such a huge development in this specific region risks contamination of the underground rivers and cenote system that is located right beneath the property and which is connected with the massive river/cenote system that lies below the entire region. Delicate mangroves are vital for survival of the coral reefs offshore, and are endangered by this megaconstruction.

Travelers are increasingly willing to pay more for an eco hotel rather than a giant concrete box filled with marble. It’s low impact and more unique.

Tags: Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico, Downtown Tulum, Aldea Zamá, Playa del Carmen, Eurostars Blue, Azul Blue, TripAdvisor.com

It’s impossible to travel without leaving a footprint of some kind. Traveling and tourism affect not only the ecosystem of the destination, but also the native cultures that live there. On one hand, it’s important for travelers to get to know other cultures to be able to grow as an individual, but on the other hand, too much tourism affects these local cultures and causes them to lose their individuality. Large developments and construction also ruin the ecosystem in the area.

This has happened around the world. There is a better option, where travelers can respect both ecology and other cultures. As of now, the best options are small, boutique hotels and ecodevelopments, which can be found all over the world. Smaller tourism operations affect ecosystems and the local cultures much less than huge, all inclusive developments.

This blog is dedicated to sharing information that will help lead to the conservation of eco destinations worldwide.