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| © Getty Images PHOTO: A stretch of jungle overlooking the Caribbean Sea near Tulum, Mexico. (photo courtesy of Kateywhat / iStock / Getty Images Plus) |
By Donald Wood, TravelPulse
Quintana Roo’s tourism secretary announced Tuesday that Tulum will become Mexico’s first sustainable tourism development zone (ZDTS) within a month.
According to Mexico News Daily, Marisol Vanegas Perez revealed that President Enrique Pena Nieto is expected to implement the legislation by October 15, just two months before he leaves office.
The decree would help Tulum carry out sustainable tourism changes that focus on the green economy. The popular tourist destination registered one of the highest rates of growth in Quintana Roo, but officials said the growth is disorderly.
The government is concerned that services have not kept up with the rapid increases in the number of hotels, so the executive order will call on authorities to adopt policies that allow Tulum to grow in a more orderly fashion.
Resources will also be allocated to establish sustainability criteria.
While the area has continued to develop quickly thanks to the influx of domestic and foreign tourists, the environmental protection agency Profepa has stepped in to ensure developers are not destroying the region.
Quintana Roo’s tourism secretary also revealed the island of Isla Mujeres was being considered as a possible ZDTS, but only Tulum would initially get the designation.
