The president of the National Chamber of the Restaurant Industry (CANIRAC) in Playa del Carmen, Roberto Lepe, criticized the handling of sargassum in the destination and compared it to the effective measures implemented in Puerto Morelos. He also indicated that there are expectations for hotel occupancy, but believes the reality is quite different.
“Sargassum is a very complex situation, where we have meters and meters of sargassum, and we have two or three people shoveling it. It’s very difficult; sargassum shouldn’t be tackled like that, I say, respecting those who make the decisions, but if we have to, we must raise awareness,” Lepe commented, according to Noticaribe.
He added, “There’s the example of Puerto Morelos, which has a very good, very nice barrier, and since 2018 they haven’t had a major sargassum problem; I think we should copy that, and we have several tools there that we will use to take the necessary resources and implement them for that purpose,” Lepe said, according to Noticaribe.
He also stated that hotel occupancy is expected to reach between 80% and 85%, “but between expectation and reality, I honestly see it as difficult, especially given how things have been going for the last two years. So, we’re waiting for tourists to arrive; domestic tourists are going on vacation; international tourists still have a little while to go, but we’re hoping they’ll come so we can feel that economic boost. The expectation is there, the hopes are there, but I do see reality as a bit distant,” Lepe concluded.
The Riviera Maya College of Architects recently proposed reviving the project for a coastal walkway or bridge in downtown Playa del Carmen, with the goal of improving the flow of visitors and beachgoers, as well as supporting beach recovery. (Playa del Carmen: Coastal walkway would help contain sargassum).
Manuel Barrero, president of the organization, explained at the time that the proposal includes a walkway accompanied by various urban and environmental elements, including a viewpoint and spaces that could be used to install barriers to help contain the sargassum and promote sand recovery
Source: reportur
