Hotels in the Riviera Maya registered positive numbers for the first six months of 2019 despite a negative outlook due to sargassum washing up on beaches, insecurity and the absence of international promotion because of the disbanding of the Tourism Promotion Council (CPTM).

According to the Riviera Maya Hotels Association (AHRM), the 47,287 hotel rooms in the area saw an average occupancy rate of 82% for the period, a decline of only 2% compared to the same period last year.

AHRM president Conrad Bergwerf told a press conference that considering the circumstances, the occupancy numbers are positive for the industry.

“Having almost 82% occupation is positive,” he said. “And even more so if we consider that Quintana Roo continues to be attractive for hotel investment, which added 5,000 rooms in the Mexican Caribbean this year.”

In the first six months of the year there were almost seven million occupied room-nights in the Riviera Maya. Over the same period, visits to tourist destinations in Quintana Roo increased by 2%, according to a report by the Cancún International Airport.

All-inclusive hotels had an occupancy rate of 83.6%, while European plan hotels were at 71.5%. Small hotels had an occupancy rate of 65.3%.

Bergwerf noted the Riviera Maya’s importance to national tourism and reaffirmed the hotel industry’s willingness to work with the government.

“Even though we’re going through an economic contraction in the country, the hotel sector understands the challenge and assumes the responsibility of working together with the government to find a public policy that will guarantee sustainable development for Mexico and Quintana Roo,” he said.

“The Riviera Maya is the most competitive tourism destination in the country, with extensive offerings of sun, beaches, archaeology and culture. In many cases, the businesses of the Riviera Maya are the image that visitors have of the country.”

The 420 hotels of the Riviera Maya generate over 350,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, and account for 42% of the state’s GDP, he said.

Source: El Universal (sp)