According to a study by the Advanced Research Center in Sustainable Tourism (STARC) on the perception of insecurity in tourist destinations in Mexico, Cancun is in position 11 out of a list of 38. Still, in 21 of these, that is, 55% of the destinations, the perception of insecurity exceeds the national average, which is 58.6%.
The document adds that although insecurity decreased compared to the second quarter of the year, the inhabitants of the jewel of the Mexican Caribbean ensure that the index is high since 73.2% of citizens feel insecure.
Among those classified as red hot spots, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in Chiapas, tops the list with 85.9%, followed by Cuernavaca and Colima, in second and third place with 83.5 and 81.4 respectively.
In fourth position is León with 79.1% and Villahermosa, Tabasco, in fifth position with 78.7% perception of insecurity; Acapulco concludes the top 10 with a perception of 73.8%.
Given this, Jesús Almaguer Salazar, president of the Hotel Association of Cancún, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres highlighted that, although the state government is working to reduce the rates, insecurity is a sensitive issue that requires an immediate solution so as not to affect the image of the destination to the outside.
“So far there have been no concerns from our business partners nor has the destination’s image deteriorated, but that does not mean we should let our guard down,” he added.
For his part, Gabriel Felip, leader for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Hyatt hotel chain, stated that “insecurity impacts everyone. It is an issue that we need to take care of and keep up to date, not only for tourism but also for all the families that reside in this place.”
In his opinion, the Government must develop a work plan and the hotel sector is willing to support them with infrastructure.
Bernardo Cueto Riestra, State Secretary of Tourism, declared that there are specific challenges of the destination, but its positive aspects must be encouraged.
“The vast majority of the stories told about the state are wonderful and we must work to keep it that way,” he said.
Finally, he emphasized that they do not minimize the state’s problems, but rather seek to address them; the state government is aware of the need to intervene in the resolution of numerous problems.
The interviewee stressed the importance of taking into account that Cancun and the Riviera Maya are World-Class prestigious destinations on a global scale and that they will continue to be promoted in all the events scheduled on the agenda.
TYT Newsroom
