TULUM, Mexico – Industry experts, represented by Carlos Torres, have recently conveyed their insights to the business platform CEO, shedding light on the forthcoming Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport in Tulum and the anticipated arrival of the Mexican Aviation Airline. These developments, they posit, will usher in a transformative era, potentially leading to a reshuffling of the established commercial airline landscape in Cancún, thereby igniting fierce and invigorating competition.
Within this vista of possibilities, the analysts propose that this evolution might subsequently trigger a recalibration in the flow of tourism along the northern expanse of Quintana Roo. However, it is noteworthy that this perspective does encounter opposition from key players within the hotel sector and the Southeast Airport Group.
In a candid dialogue with La Verdad, Jesús Almaguer Salazar, the head of the Association of Hotels in Cancún, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres, responded with a counterpoint, emphasizing that their own exhaustive investigations, conducted in partnership with both the governmental and Asur entities, yield a substantially different outlook, one that does not entail such precipitous risks.
Tulum and Cancún, are divergent tourism markets, each possessing a unique allure, beckoning different crowds and catering to distinct desires. The forthcoming Tulum Airport, contrary to speculation, does not portend a reduction in the allure of Cancún, as underscored by the assertions of prominent hoteliers.
“We, in collaboration with Asur, have meticulously scrutinized the matter and I can firmly state that it does not make economic sense for airlines to bifurcate their routes. For instance, consider a flight from Houston to Cancún; introducing an additional route to Tulum would entail dual operational costs, coupled with the elevated land-based expenses – an endeavor that proves counterproductive.”
Almaguer Salazar expounded that, in tandem with operational costs, the juxtaposition of room capacities and the nuanced tapestry of tourist offerings existing within the southern precincts of the region are distinctly disparate. This makes it implausible to pit two destinations, each with its own distinct identity, in direct competition.
Hence, the captain of the hotel industry contends that the prognosis posited by the analysts, as conveyed through the prism of the CEO, seems to be somewhat off the mark. He does concede, however, that the nascent airport, an endeavor nurtured by the vision of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration, does present ample prospects for attracting European charter flights, courtesy of its burgeoning potential.
“It is universally acknowledged that this genre of tourism exhibits a pronounced predilection for this particular enclave of the state. Yet, it is imperative to consider an array of factors, including capacity differentials. To be candid, the Tulum airport, when juxtaposed with its Cancún counterpart, is scarcely comparable. Hence, we hold the perspective that any potential reduction in tourist footfall would likely hover around a mere 3% of the cumulative 30 million… perhaps.”
