In this context, Travel2latam spoke with David Ortiz Mena, President of the Tulum Hotel Association.
What were the objectives of your participation here in double WTM?
We are at WTM representing Tulum along with other destinations in the Mexican Caribbean, and first of all, it should be noted that this is one of the most important fairs for the tourism industry. We are here because we can show the benefits of Tulum as a destination, which of course today offers more than just sun and beach. We have gastronomy, culture, archaeological sites and unique experiences.
Today we also have the opportunity to talk about Tulum with greater connectivity. We have a new airport with a good number of visitors, which has already exceeded all expectations. The number of 1,000,000 travelers was received, and for the first year of operations it is very important. In addition, we are going to start with flights to Germany. We have flights to Canada, and to many of the important cities of our main tourist-issuing country, the United States. We have national flights, and also to Panama, with which South America is connected.
We must also talk about the Mayan Train, which is becoming increasingly important as a component of connectivity in the Mexican Caribbean. In addition, it helps us integrate between destinations, so that travelers spend more time in the Mexican Caribbean, making us a multi-destination.
In fact, Tulum is very close to destinations such as Bacalar, which will be strengthened through the connectivity offered by the airport with the Mayan Train, so in this edition of World Travel Market I am sure that we are presenting a quite renewed vision. We are, by the way, very clear that we must move forward with sustainability, having a long-term vision. Of course, in Tulum we have a great challenge to overcome, but we are aware of it and working on it.
What is the hotel infrastructure in Tulum?
Tulum today has more than 10,800 hotel rooms. We have a great diversification in this offer. More than 70% belong to the association that I represent, but we are here finally representing a destination in its entirety. The hotel industry in Tulum has different modalities; European plan, resorts, all-inclusive. We also have small boutique type hotels and holiday cities.
What are the main new features and attractions in Tulum?
We have a new international airport, which has already been talked about a lot. We have connectivity to Canada, to the United States, and to the domestic market, which by the way is visiting the Mexican Caribbean a lot. Today, the most important market for the Mexican Caribbean is, of course, the American market, followed by the national market and then the Canadian market. We already have important connectivity through this airport and the Mayan Train.
We have archaeological sites, cenotes, lagoons and authentic and living Mayan culture. Inside Tulum there are still Mayan villages that maintain their traditions and can be visited, although they are not mainly tourist destinations. Tulum also offers exceptional gastronomy.
What are the most recent hotel investments in the destination?
We have had very important hotel investments in recent years, many of which began during the pandemic. We had hotel openings with more than 1,000 rooms with renowned brands such as Hilton Conrad. We also recently had the opening of a new hotel from the Hyatt chain, which is Secrets Tulum, with a novel modality because it is a luxury all-inclusive that does not offer a beach. However, it does have a beach club.
Tulum is increasingly transforming, with more luxury and investments. Many hotels are maintained, being remodeled and updated. It is a constant evolution.