In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Edgar Gasca Arceo, General Director of Economic Development and Tourism of the Municipality of Isla Mujeres.
What were your goals for coming here to promote Isla Mujeres?
Isla Mujeres already has a tradition within Fitur and this year is no exception. We are looking to increase our share of the Spanish market. We currently receive around 14 thousand Spaniards annually and the objective of this municipal presence is to increase by 2% or 3% by 2025.
What hotel capacity does Isla Mujeres have?
Isla Mujeres is not only the island itself, but we also have a continental part that is currently developing as another destination in Quintana Roo. So, we have two very different parts, the insular part with its own island characteristics, which currently has around 3 thousand rooms, and the coastal part, which is already developing at a great speed, with 12 thousand rooms.
The coastal part is the jewel in Quintana Roo's crown, the one that is developing the most, especially with Spanish investment.
What plans or goals do you have for this year?
As a destination, we have an average of 85% hotel occupancy all year round, so that allows us to boast that we no longer have a low season. Costa Mujeres is also developing at an incredible speed and we on the island are working hard on sustainability and tourism development, not in terms of the number of tourists, but rather the quality of those we want on the island. Today we are working very hard on the presence of international fairs such as Fitur, we are also going to Colombia next month and in two months to Brazil, specifically looking for the Latin American market.
What are the main markets that reach Isla Mujeres?
Today, around 70% of our market is North American and Canadian, but we are looking for European, Asian and Latin American markets.
What news can you share with me regarding properties and investments?
80% of all investment in Costa Mujeres is Spanish, and 4 more hotel chains are about to be developed this year, which would increase our offer by 3 thousand more rooms. Costa Mujeres has around 87 or 88% hotel occupancy throughout the year with an economic impact that no other place in Quintana Roo has; not Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, or the Riviera Maya.
How can you get to the island from Spain?
The route is, in this case, Madrid-Cancun and once you arrive at Cancun Airport, you have to take a bus to the center of Cancun, from there a taxi to board the boat to Isla Mujeres. It is a journey that is well worth it. We are very focused on the couples market and on people who want to go to relax and enjoy a 7-kilometer land with a lot of tradition and a gastronomy that is distinguished worldwide. But above all we want them to come to enjoy the hospitality of the islanders.
There are routes throughout the day to cross to the island, because every half hour a boat leaves with approximately 300 people, from 5.30 in the morning until 11 at night.
And you can also take private tours with other types of boats…
Yes, we also have that option right at the dock and the important thing is that people know that Isla Mujeres is not just sun and beach. Today we are offering other alternatives, such as experiencing the liberation of turtles, swimming with the whale shark or swimming in the open sea with white sharks. We are experiencing all of that there on Isla Mujeres.