After yet another tourist-packed summer, Tulum is dealing with growing safety concerns brought on by a discrepancy between the number of visitors the city accommodates each year and the level of infrastructure in place to keep them safe.
Lately, however, big steps are being taken by local officials and private investors to lower the crime rates that have been keeping so many tourists from booking the holiday of their dreams to the Mexican hotspot.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about why Tulum is quickly turning into one of the safest destinations in Mexico.
Security Concerns In Tulum
As crime rates in Tulum increase at a worryingly high pace, high-profile incidents have made rounds in the international scene, making tourists consider other nearby destinations instead (e.g., Bacalar).
Considering that Tulum has gone through a remarkable growth in popularity this past decade, issues of this nature are to be expected since it’s challenging for the local industries and infrastructure to keep up with such high demand, leading to chaos.
Moreover, since Tulum is generally considered an international party scene, the growth of tourism tends to also draw in crime, with the latter starting to out-pace the former.
Since the city’s economy relies heavily on the revenue from the tourism industry, officials have found that these growing safety concerns can be devastating for Tulum’s financial system if not addressed immediately.
For this reason, Tulum authorities are taking action and making notable investments in an effort to keep the destination safe.
Investments Are Being Made To Keep Tulum Safe
Just this last week, The Municipal President of Tulum, Diego Castañón Trejó, announced that the Navy of Mexico would be joining in on the efforts to keep the ever-growing beach town safe.
Furthermore, local police are undergoing constant training so as to better maintain civil order.
Units from the Mexican National Guard have also been sent to some of the most popular hotspots in Tulum with the goal of maintaining peace and order among the crowds.
These efforts seem to be paying off already, seeing as the source reports a notable decrease in crime rates, which had turned into a major problem this past summer season.
However, the biggest investments in maintaining safety in Tulum are probably those being made in the transportation department.
Let’s further explore two of the most recent undertakings:
Maya Train
The Maya Train, one of the biggest infrastructural projects in Tulum to date, is set to start operating on December 1st, 2023.
While the railway’s primary goal is to link Tulum to the rest of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, making it easier for tourists to get in and out of town, most of the anticipation comes from the fact that the new line is supposed to make enjoying Tulum that much safer.
As per the Cancun Sun report listed above, one of the most effective measures Tulum tourists can take when it comes to ensuring their safety is to choose a reliable means of transportation.
Once nighttime falls in the city, visitors become much more susceptible to both violent and petty crimes, and since transport in Tulum is notoriously expensive, most just end up accepting the increased risk in an effort to stay within budget.
That’s why this megaproject spanning over 1,525 kilometers (948 miles) is about to make traveling to Tulum that much safer.
Tourists will have a reliable, convenient, and decently affordable way to get around without having to put themselves at risk every time they leave their hotels.
Moreover, this specific route will be surveilled by land and air, as local governing bodies are trying their hardest to keep their newest undertaking a danger-free zone for tourists.
New International Airport Run By The Military
Another transport-related investment made in hopes of increasing security in the city includes the development of a new international Airport, named Tulum Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport, which will be run by the military.
This structure is also believed to be finished by December 2023, though this past August, the airport was only 57% done.
The $182,000,000 investment was announced as a solution to the oversaturated Cancun terminal, which had come to be a source of tension and stress for travelers.
Moreover, the airport is designed to complement the Maya train in the city’s efforts to provide safe, reliable transportation to visitors.
With these huge infrastructure projects coming to Tulum, travelers can rest assured that military, police, and the government of Tulum will be working around the clock to protect tourists in order to sustain the growth Tulum is seeing.
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