Manifesto for rebuilding Cancun even better

[Marooned]

THIS IS A POST THAT I ORIGINALLY WROTE AFTER HURRICANE WILMA...

I have some ideas for making Cancun even better than before. Some may be original while others are probably just recycled. I hope that Steve, Brant, Cancun Care Members and others can add to this manifesto and then forward these ideas to planners, FONATUR, developers, hotel owners, politicians, and others of influence. The hope is to take this opportunity to make Cancun even better than before.

I have been going to Cancun since about 1980. Our family stayed at the "new" Sheraton when it was the only hotel between the Hyatt Caribe and the Club Med if you can believe that. Since then I have been back to Cancun 9 times and I really care about the entire region. For those of us that get CWS the moment we get back to our hometowns we know Cancun is unique, but it can be better. There is no better time than now to start making Cancun the best it can possibly be.

Please feel free to add to, critique, or come up with new ideas. Hopefully at some point these ideas can be forwarded to people who can make a difference. While not all will be considered and even fewer implemented, anything we can do to make Cancun better will make a difference. These ideas are presented in no particular order...

1. CLEAN UP THE LAGOON Now is the best time to focus on making the lagoon cleaner. For years 2 stroke boat engines and irresponsible hoteliers and restaurant owners (I have heard) have polluted the lagoon to a point where it is just nasty. If you've ever seen a boat or a water skier plow a trail thru the water you can see the residue just foaming on the surface. I actually think that in addition to stopping these polluters two "cuts" should be made thru Cancun island, one about 1/3 down the surfside and the other about 2/3 down the surfside (Surfside being defined as the eastern shore of Cancun from Dreams to Club Med). I think this would help keep the lagoon fresher and also it would create small harbors with easy access to the Caribbean. Attractive bridges on the beach and the road would keep Cancun connected.

2. EASY BEACH ACCESS BETWEEN EACH AND EVERY HOTEL I know there is supposed to be beach access between the hotels but damn if I can ever find the paths or if they even exist. These hotels are not joined together and well-marked paved paths between the hotels would really improve beach-going for tourists and locals alike. It would also keep non-guest traffic out of the lobbies of the nicer hotels.

3. IDENTIFICATION OF HOTELS FROM THE BEACH I love to hike the beaches of Cancun. In fact, over several vacations I have hiked the beach from BBG all the way past Club Med (until I was stopped by some FONATUR guard - apparently there is some type of government beach/guest house and research station between the Club Med and that water park). Although some hotels are marked I am amazed that most are not. This is free advertising for the hotels. Some beach walker sees an attractive pool area/beach front and maybe wants to stay at that hotel on the next trip only discovering later that he or she can't figure out which hotel it was (it is not always apparent from the boulevard side what the beach side looks like). Every hotel should have signage on the beach side. Why would hotel owners not do this?

4. PUBLIC RESTAURANT, BAR & ENTERTAINMENT ZONES ON SURFSIDE BEACHES "COCKTAIL ZONES" One thing that is really missing in Cancun is great public bars and restaurants on the surfside beaches that anyone can walk up to. Sort of like in the movie "Cocktail". Every mile or so there should be a small area designated for attractive little bars, restaurants, clubs, and other entertainment venues. I think putting most of these establishments on the lagoon side of the island was a mistake, at least until they clean-up the lagoon. The beaches along the "7" are so world-class, yet there is nowhere besides one's hotel to enjoy them. The best areas for these "zones" would be at public parks like Delfines, small undeveloped areas between hotels (There used to be a small tract north of the Ritz Carlton). One of my favorite bars used to be the small beach bar at the Costa Real, but they won't let me have a beer there anymore because it is private and all-inclusive. I'm not saying that hotels should give up their private areas, let's just have public bars and small restaurant huts every mile. Can you imagine how fun strolling the beach would be if these "Cocktail Zones" were built?

5. PALM TREES Here is an old post http://www.cancuncare.com/forum/view...876&highlight= with photos from Cancun in the late 1960s and early/mid 1970s before development and during initial construction . It was basically a small fishing/lobster outpost and a coconut palm plantation with a population of 3. There were palm trees everywhere - of course some were natural and some were in the plantation. Even before Hurrican Wilma I thought Cancun needed more palm trees. On the surfside beaches there are long areas where hotels have built seawalls. This is a perfect place to plant a row of palm trees. Can you imagine how beautiful and peaceful it would look to have a row of palm trees along the beach all the way from Club Med up to BBG? And there should also be palm trees in the boulevard median (I think there are in some places) and along the lagoon. They don't have to be all coconut palm trees either. http://www.sunpalmtrees.com/ Personally I love coconut palms, but there are hundreds of varieties and some are very exotic: date palms and royal palms are two that come to mind. I think it would be great if Cancun had palm trees of as many varieties and species as can be found. Cancun officials might even be able to get other islands and countries to donate shiploads of palms in light of Hurricane Wilma.

6. TURQUOISE CONNECTION BICYCLE PATH I wrote a post on this about two years ago but I haven't been able to find it yet. Basically I think there should be a narrow paved bicycle path along the entire length of Cancun. Cancun is perfect for this because of how long and narrow the island is. The path would be concrete and painted aqua or turquoise to make it easily identifiable and set it apart from streets and other pathways. Following is an example form another coastal resort... http://beaches.co.la.ca.us/BandH/Beaches/BikePath.htm This meandering patch would be continuous and go alongside beaches in some areas, wind around the small lighthouses (which need to be rebuilt bigger and better) at either point of the island, go thru thick jungle areas, along golf courses, a cleaned-up lagoon, shopping centers, etc. Imagine how great it would be to ride your bike a mile up the path to go shopping or all the way from Club Med to Dreams if you are feeling more adventurous.

7. BIGGER LIGHTHOUSES AT THE NORTH AND SOUTH POINTS The small lighthouses on the north (Dreams) and south (Club Med) points are so disappointing. When I think of a beach paradise I always imagine an extremely tall white lighthouse with black rings or spirals. http://www.bansemer.com/prints/flori...use_prints.htm There are many variations of lighthouses that capture the imagination. I'm surprised that some entrepeneur hasn't offered to tear down the pathetic small lighthouses that currently exist and replace them with towering classic lighthouses. These could be restaurants, bars, lookout towers, gift shops, or some other money making venture. Also imagine the photo opportunities these lighthouses would afford. Travelers come to Cancun in part for the romance...let's give it to them!

8. BEACH RESTORATION I realize that some of the beaches will slowly regenerate from tidal action, but this is an opportunity to fix some of the problem beaches that were there even before Hurrican Wilma. I always hated that concrete barrier in front of the Westin Regina. They had no natural beach and there was this concrete montrosity out in the surf. I don't know the history of this particular beach or what it looks like now, but placing concrete crap out in the surf is not the answer. Also, there is a new condo development on the bayside that was built so close to the beach that all that remains is surf coming up to the seawall. This property is near the Riu Palace, but is not one of the Riu properties. Anyway, areas like this need beach even if they didn't plan for it. The beaches from BBG all the way to Club Med need to be wide and even better than before. And please, no more sandbags, concrete barriers, and that other crap.

9. THE HOSPITALITY CARD - GET RID OF THE RIP-OFF ARTISTS Probably most of us have been ripped-off in Cancun. Even as an experienced traveler I have been royally screwed in Cancun. Some of these rip-off artists may have left when Hurricane Wilma hit and maybe if we are lucky they took their craft somewhere else. The last time I was in Cancun a friend (who is known as Count Me In on the BBG forum) and I went to one of those outside bars near Slices (It was not Slices). We ordered four of those yard glasses full of beer for us and our dates. The beers were way overpriced and two different waiters carefully approached Steve and I seperately and asked for the total bill plus a big tip. Neither Steve nor I knew until later that both of us had paid the same bill, but you can bet the waiters did. Anyway, by the time we had left we had paid over 500 pesos for 4 beers. I have also gotten very tired of taxi drivers who try and rip off tourists. I'm sure most taxi drivers are honest and friendly, but sometimes I think they are the exception. There must be a way to require the workers who come in contact with tourists to earn some type of "hospitality card". It should be easy to complain and tourists should be assured their complaints will be acted on. Every hospitality card holder should have a card (sort of like a business card) that they give a tourist upon request. This card should have the offending person's name, an ID number, and a toll free number to complain. Someone getting out of a greedy person's taxi should be able to hand this card to someone at the hotel and the problem should be taken care of - easy as that. Three strikes and you are out. I know for a fact there are some people who have gone to Cancun and will never return because they were ripped off. That should be a problem of the past.

10. PORTAL TO PARADISE Another thought is to take a look at what the first-time tourist sees in Cancun upon his or her arrival. The airport is really nice for the most part and the drive to the hotel zone becomes more scenic the closer one gets to the south end of the hotel zone. Somewhere in between there is a disconnect. I've seen trashed-out areas and unplanned roadside development immediately after exiting the airport. First impressions are so important. It is not a long drive from the airport to the south end of the hotel zone and most of the problems are within a mile of the airport. If you can make the drive from the airport to the entry of the hotel zone as attractive as possible it will really heighten the experience of the arriving tourist. We all know how attractive the hotel zone is once you are there. It is simple to control what the tourist sees upon arriving in Cancun since practically everyone goes directly from the airport to their hotel via the south entrance to the hotel zone. Since that first impression is so controlled why not make it as good as it can be? I'm talking about landscaping, trash pickup, palm trees, controlled roadside construction, signage control, etc. Basically I'm saying let's make the portal to paradise perfect.

[lindat]

For the most part, I think your ideas are wonderful! Especially the beach restaurant/bar shacks!

[Bellasogno]

Some very well thought out ideas. I, too, agree with most, although consider myself unqualified to comment on connecting the lagoon at additional points with the ocean, as I am unfamiliar with the ecological ramifications, if any. But I agree - clean up the lagoon!! None the less, some very good ideas, and I agree - now is the ime. My only question is this: Where will the money come from to support this? My vision of Cancun in several years is one where an impressive hotel or restaurant sits side by side to a blown out vacated structure. I hope I'm wrong, but that seems to be historical there.

Clearly, many of your ideas are cooperative efforts that would require shared costs between numerous adjacent hotels/resorts. Experience shows "either all are IN or it won't float". That is, all would need to support. Thanks for taking the time to compile and post these idea!

[nmarcks]

Some good idea's there.

Thanks for taking the time to post them all.

Nick and Renee

[Marooned]

Thanks for your comments on the manifesto. I don't want you to think I take myself too seriously, but this really is a critical time in Cancun's history and anything we can do to make our favorite beach resort even better is worthwhile. If anyone knows someone of influence (politicians, city officials, government planners, visitor bureau personnel, convention planners, hotel owners, etc.) please print this out and pass it on to them or at least e-mail the link.

There were some questions regarding feasibility and cost. I'll try to address these here:

1. CLEAN UP THE LAGOON In my opinion merely cleaning up the lagoon is a policy issue and hotel owners and boat fleet owners who are polluting the lagoon are doing so at their own risk to begin with. I've heard that raw sewage pipes from some of the cheaper hotels are discovered and capped by officials and later when the heat dies down the hotel goes back to their old ways. We are polluting our own paradise here. This is sort of like the issue with cruise ships dumping their waste in the same crystal clear waters that help them sell their vacations. It is just wrong. Anyway, it is my feeling that the force of the hurricane probably flushed a lot of the surface residue out of the lagoon. That is why this is such a golden opportunity to enfore policies regarding the lagoon. Of course the hurricane might have also cause some new pollution to the lagoon, but this should be temporary. As far as cutting two more canals on the long side of the "7" this would of course require environmental studies and planning. When Cancun was being built in the early 1970s there were many brakish "ponds" that were filled in and seperate lagoon areas were joined together in hopes of getting some more movement in the water - it smelled even worse than it does now in the early 1970s. Right now only rain and some tidal movement from the north and south canals (these are pre-existing natural canals) help keep the lagoon from getting really nasty. Two more cuts at kilometers 11 and 16 (for example) would make the lagoon a more tidal influenced body of water and I think the results would be outstanding. As mentioned earlier, it would also provide opportunities for marinas to have access to the Caribbean via the surfside. Look how attractive the area is at the north canal (by the Costa Real) - just imagine two more canals like this on the long side of the island.

2. EASY BEACH ACCESS BETWEEN EACH AND EVERY HOTEL I think this is supposed to already be in effect. All of Mexico's coastline is public beach and everyone is supposed to have access. I think this is mainly an enforcement issue. How much does a sign that says "--> Playa" cost? At first the paths could be unpaved and later improvements could be made as tourists come back to Cancun in large numbers.

3. HOTEL SIGNS FROM BEACH Again this is just the cost and installation of a sign. One future hotel booking from a beach walker would pay for this idea.

4. COCKTAIL ZONES This is mainly a zoning issue. People (both locals and transplants) would love the opportunity to have their own "Cocktails and Dreams" liquor hut at Kilometer 9 or a bar called "Gone with the Wind" at Kilometer 18. This is actually a money making idea and for everyone involved.

5. PALM TREES People love palm trees! There are a lot of islands that don't naturally have palm trees and they import them because people want palm trees on the beach. As mentioned in my original post I think Cancun officials might be able to get shiploads of palm trees donated in light of Hurrican Wilma. Just like Katrina in Louisiana - people and countries just want to help. If you've ever walked the beach in Cancun you probably know what I'm talking about with the long seawalls that are just barren. Palm trees on the beach would also make the travel brochures
and website photos that much more enticing anyway. If you think about it the palm trees are an investment. I do realize that mature palm trees that have to be purchased can be quite expensive. Phasing in palm trees on the beach could be a partial solution. At first a palm tree could be planted every 1/8th of a mile from BBG to Club Med. Then next year another set of plam trees could be planted in between the existing trees so now we have a palm tree on the beach every 1/16th of a mile. This process is repeated every year until the desired effect is obtained. With this plan it is not hard to imagine how awesome the row of palm trees will look on the beach in 5 or 6 years.

6. TURQUOISE CONNECTION BICYCLE PATH Areas that are already paved could just be painted turquoise to show where the path goes. New paths can of course cost a good deal of money, but this can be done in phases. Hotels and venders can rent bicycles which is of course another revenue generator.

7. LIGHTHOUSES AT NORTH AND SOUTH POINT This is just an opportunity for Dreams (formerly Camino Real) and Club Med to offer something unique. Restaurants and observation towers can obviously generate revenue. I find it hard to believe that people wouldn't pay good money to have a romantic dinner at the top of a 60-foot lighthouse at one of the most beautiful resort islands in the world. Can you imagine the views at sunrise and sunset?

8. BEACH RESTORATION This is perhaps the most expensive idea and I had read it was going to happen before I wrote this thread. I'm merely suggesting that problem beach areas be fixed during the process.

9. HOSPITALITY CARD This is primarily awareness and education. This idea is as cheap as printing business cards for each person and holding a few orientation classes. Cancun is a world-class resort and for the money that is being spent in Cancun tourists deserve world-class hospitality, service, and attitude. Rip-off artists just don't belong here - they really don't. If this plan is instituted you can bet the first time a rip-off artist is asked for his or her card it will not be a good day for that person.

[Marooned]

Here are some thematic marketing ideas that I haven't seen anyone use. Cancun (and I'm referring to the entire region) is lucky to have so many influences that can be used as themes for bars, clubs, restaurants, resorts, etc. Let's see, as far as themes there is Mayan, Cuban, Mexican, Tropical, Beach Paradise, Reef Sealife, Scuba, Jungle, Yucatan, Pirates, Caribbean, Party Central, etc, etc...Cancun has so much to choose from and the original planners did a wonderful job as evidenced by many of the hotels using a Mayan pyramid design which adds so much to the resort. At the same time I see a lack of creativity today. I see bar after bar that look almost exactly the same. Many of the booths are selling the same exact souveniers. Sometimes this makes exploring such a diverse and wondeful place not quite as exciting as it should be. Anyway, here are some ideas I've been thinking about for quite some time. Unfortunately I haven't been able to make the move to Cancun. Since many new business are rebuilding or starting from scratch this is a great time to just throw them out there (into cyberspace)...

AGAINST ALL ODDS This is such a wonderful movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086859/ that is beginning to find a cult following. It was filmed in the 1980s at the El Presidente Cancun, Isla Mujeres (several locations), Cozumel (several locations), Tulum, and Chichen Itza (landing strip and ruins). The movie has a wonderful soundtrack including the hit song by Phil Collins. Jeff Bridges and Rachel Ward had a lot of chemistry in this movie. What surprises me is that I've never found anything commemorating this movie. I tried to find the location of the unfinished beach house in Cozumel and no one knew what I was talking about. Probably someone could make some money with an Against All Odds tour. If I were able to open up a bar in Party Central I would name it Against All Odds and have the interior look like the inside of the temple where they had the forbidden but memorable love scene. I probably love the movie more than most, but there are lots of movie fans out there that love to see locations where movies were filmed - in fact in some areas it is a really hot business. There has to be some money in selling Against All Odds t-shirts, CDs, DVDs, posters, filming locations map, picture books with movie stills and current location photos, etc. I just think there is a lot of opportunity with marketing this movie. Jamaica begged and begged to have Cocktail filmed there in the 1980s. Cocktail is not half the movie Against All Odds is, but in Jamaica there is a Risky Business bar (Obvious Tom Cruise reference) in Negril and somewhere on the east coast there is a Cocktail and Dreams bar. Again, people love the romance and escapism with these movies - let's give it to them.

SOUTHERN COMFORT Now that some hotels are rebuilding and others may be torn down I thought I would throw out my favorite name for a new hotel in Cancun, Southern Comfort. This resort could be built in a Key West/New Orleans/Savannah/Charleston/Galveston coastal style and be known for it's southern hospitality. Sannibel palms could be planted like those you see along the Carolina and Georgia coast. Southern writers like Hemmingway and Faulkner could inspire themes for restaurants and bars. The staff could be attired in salt and pepper Citadel-inspired uniforms for the men and colorful sun dresses for the women. Maybe a deal could be made with Southern Comfort whiskey to add to the branding. The open beach bar could be named "Gone with the Wind". The way this resort would work is by really instituting that southern charm, manners, and hospitality that certain areas of the south are famous for.

[kmurphy45]

Some very good ideas in that manifesto. Thanks for taking the time to think them up and then post them.

I would like to comment on the taxicab fares issue. I have been going to Cancun for about 18 years now and have stayed at the Coral Mar Condominums for the past 16 years. Every time I've been there, the Coral Mar staff hands out a sheet of paper containing a copy of the Cancun area map, particularly the hotel zone. The map is then kind of marked off and the zones with the prices to each zone listed. We are told to always ask the price before getting into a taxi and if it doesn't coincide with the price on the map, refuse to get in. We have followed this procedure each year and have yet to have a problem. In fact, in all my years down there I think I have only been quoted a higher fare than listed on my sheet once and when I said we'd catch another taxi, the driver asked what we thought it should be and then agreed to take us for that amount.

If staying at a hotel, I would suggest asking a staff member what the going taxi rate should be to wherever you're going and then ask the driver the cost before getting in. As I've said, I've never really had any trouble with that in all my years down there and I take cabs alot as the Coral Mar is down at the very end of Pok-ta-Pok Avenue and this old lady has a hard time walking all the way to Kulkulcan and the buses. Hope this helps in some small way to help make one's visit to Cancun a happy and special time.

Kathy

[Marooned]

kmurphy45,

I appreciate your comments and understand what you are telling me regarding the taxis. Probably some of my issues arise when I use taxis in a way that is perhaps not the norm.

For example, when I go out to Plaza 21 (the strip clubs north of downtown) the drivers say that they want to wait for me and that when I'm ready to go back to the hotel zone there will be no "waiting charge". Usually the fare is $20 to $25 each way and when I finally get back to my hotel in the early morning hours I have been quoted anywhere from $100 to $200 - remember, this is after we have already agreed that the total fare is $40 to $50. After three or four times of this I just say no when the taxi drivers tell me they want to wait and the charge will only be $50.

The last time I was in Cancun I took a cab from Plaza 21 and was planning to go to the hotel zone. When I got to downtown I changed my mind and wanted to pay the taxi driver the fare from Plaza 21 to downtown instead. The taxi driver said I was not allowed to change my mind and demanded I pay him the full fare to the hotel zone even though I was already out of the cab in the downtown area. Basically he started yelling at me and tried to get the police involved so I just gave him the $25 for perhaps a $10 cab ride.

One time in Cozumel I asked a taxi driver take me from one club to another I had heard about. What I did not know was that the club I requested to go to was about 100 yards from the club I had just left. Instead of merely pointing to the club he had me get in the cab and drove for the 10 second ride. He then asked for the $5 taxi fare and would not accept anything less. In my opinion this is just a trick (although it would make for a funny scene in a movie).

Another time in Cozumel I had a taxi take me for a "round the island" tour. I was quoted $50 for the tour and the driver proceeded to whiz me around the perimter of the island at an alarming rate of speed. I practically had to beg him to stop at several lookout points. Anyway, when we got back to our starting point he demanded $100 plus tip. I asked why it wasn't the $50 quoted and he said that the 3 brief stops were extra and his comments were extra as well. He said I owed him $150 minimum. I think we settled on $100.

Another time in Cancun I was at Party Central and took a cab back to the Hilton. The driver demanded twice the going rate and I turned to the hotel door staff. The driver then went on to tell the hotel staff that I was in El Centro and not party central. Since it was his word against mine I just paid him what he wanted.

These are the most noteworthy experiences of my problems with taxi drivers. There are more, but they are not as interesting.

Maybe my experiences have been worse than most, but there is no doubt that some taxi drivers will try to upcharge you when they think there is any gray area or when it is your word against theirs. Also if the club or restaurant is near the zone border they will almost always "stretch" to the more costly zone. To me the cab fares are already incredibly high for tourists (locals ride for much less). Another problem I've noticed is that taxi drivers almost never have change. If you wait for a long, long time you will find that all of the sudden the driver will remember where his change is. Unfortunately sometimes I've given drivers too much money because I was not willing to wait a long time to force getting my change. If the cab is picking up tourists who have been drinking in party central I've noticed they almost always upcharge because they think they can get away with it in that situation. I have an excellent memory whether I've been drinking or not and always call the taxi driver on it.

Again, the taxi drivers are just one example of rip-off artists in Cancun. I think the hospitality card should apply to all travel service workers who come in contact with tourists. If the ripoff artists are shut down the honest workers will make more money from better tips from happier customers as well as repeat travelers. In my opinion there is no better time to flush Cancun of the ripoff artists than right now during this rebuilding period. It is a critical time for Cancun right now and in effect the people of Cancun are "rededicating" themselves to Cancun. I'm sure some marginal people have just decided to go elsewhere for more immediate work with less risk.

[kmurphy45]

Boy, Marooned, you really have had some bad experiences and I agree, I think the idea of a hospitality card to be an especially good idea. As I originally noted, I'm getting on in age and usually don't stray too far from the Coral Mar and my favorite restaurants. Your experiences remind me of my trip to Jamaica and there, I did have taxi problems. Once I found Cancun I've rarely tried other places as Cancun spoiled me so. The only other vacation spot I enjoy is St. Kitts but Cancun can't be beat in my opinion.

Thanks again for your time and imput in coming up with ideas to better a great place.

[Marooned]

Any regular posters on here have ideas to improve Cancun during this rebuilding process?

Also, if you agree with most of these ideas please e-mail the link to Cancun politicians, planners, hotel owners, architects, environmental activists, landscape designers, and others of influence. I'm not sure how many people who can make changes actually frequent the forum. I really don't have any contacts with these "people of influence".

Thanks

[Ana]

Originally Posted by Marooned

I have some ideas for making Cancun even better than before. Some may be original while others are probably just recycled. I hope that Steve, Brant, Cancun Care Members and others can add to this manifesto and then forward these ideas to planners, FONATUR, developers, hotel owners, politicians, and others of influence. The hope is to take this opportunity to make Cancun even better than before.

1. CLEAN UP THE LAGOON

As active Cancunenses we had try to make the lagoon look as it was 25 years ago with fresh clean water but until there is no a legal manner to prhibit the restaurants to trough their food and/or garbage into the lagoon and as long as the inspectors can make 5 time their salary receiving money from the restaurants, nothing will change.

More to add, the lagoon water is very mis since Wilma, people throw a lot of garbage (from food to microwaves) plus the pieces of the docks that were destroy with Wilma.

2. EASY BEACH ACCESS BETWEEN EACH AND EVERY HOTEL

Quintana Roo law says that every x number of KM you need to have a public access, the fact is that as time share develops, they want to have their guests "captive" in the resort so the time share companies are the nes that block by the street or the beaaqch (rocks, sun cahirs, etc) the free walking.

3. IDENTIFICATION OF HOTELS FROM THE BEACH

Love this idea

4. PUBLIC RESTAURANT, BAR & ENTERTAINMENT ZONES ON SURFSIDE BEACHES "COCKTAIL ZONES"

The greatest problrm here is the amount of taxes you have to pay to be in front of a beach, beach in Cancun is consider Federal Zone and therfore you need to pay like 4 different taxes if you want to build, use, make business, etc. This make almost impposible to have small bars or clubs on the ocean side.

5. PALM TREES

I have to recognize that after Wilma the re-forestation in Cancun had been amazing, only from Km 1 to 4 of the HZ we have more than double palm trees than before Wilma.


8. BEACH RESTORATION

This is a mayor concern and a lot of money to be expend in the comming months, the problem is that the hotels did not respect the 25 meters for the ocean that the constuction rule says, therfore they have cause that some places that use to have an extended beach is now gone. A good example is Presidente that was built 20 years ago according to the rules and therfore their beach and sand continue to increase.

some people who have gone to Cancun and will never return because they were ripped off. That should be a problem of the past.

[Marooned]

Ana,

Thanks for your comments. I really would like more CancunCare.com posters to comment on the manifesto. Now is the time to discuss making the new Cancun the best it can possibly be.

I'm glad to read about the re-forestation effort already taking place. I really hope they plant a row of palms on the beach as discussed earlier.

As far as the "cocktail zones" on the beach I did not know about the four seperate taxes. That seems excessive for federal, public property. Perhaps Cancun should look at the beach bars as entertainment amenities and subsidize or negotiate to lower the fees and make it easier for an entrepreneur to open up a small liquor shack.

[Steve]

Sorry Marooned ops: I really intended to post a lengthy comment on this one, but keep getting waylaid by other things. Most of the posts here I can reply off the cuff but this one I have to sit down and think for a while.... and it's a long time since I did that!

I'll try and absorb everything in the next day or two and post my thoughts - it's a very valuable thread so keep bumping it. Hopefully we can email a link to the powers that be and although it might not make much difference it's worth having a go.

[cunspin]

Ana, I was wondering what Restaurants dump garbage in the Lagoons I am aware of The Hotels and the sewage but Restaurants? wich ones ?
I agree about the Ocean front Bars and Restaurants but as Ana stated these are all Federal Concessions and are rarely given.
The Lagoons other problem is that the natural flow in and out of the ocean was closed off in several spots as well as Pok Ta Pok and Isla Dorada wich are manmade causing the Lagoon to Die or become basically a Cesspool Now they are doing the samething with Puerto Cancun and Isla Mujeres to the North .
Another Tragedy is that the Garbage dump emties into the largest Lagoon and Mangroves in the Area contaminating Flora Fauna and Water it is a disgusting sight and I am continually amazed at how Man has been allowed to contaminate the environment and gets away with it.
The problems with the beaches eroding started with Gilbert the Sheraton used to have a huge beach pre Gilbert and what little was left Emily and Wilma took El Presidente and all of the Hotels north of the Hyatt Regency have maintined the beaches in part because they are protected by Reefs, and the current that acually brought them sand from the South in all of the aformentioned hurricanes.

[Ana]

Originally Posted by Marooned

Ana,

Thanks for your comments. I really would like more CancunCare.com posters to comment on the manifesto. Now is the time to discuss making the new Cancun the best it can possibly be.

I'm glad to read about the re-forestation effort already taking place. I really hope they plant a row of palms on the beach as discussed earlier.

As far as the "cocktail zones" on the beach I did not know about the four seperate taxes. That seems excessive for federal, public property. Perhaps Cancun should look at the beach bars as entertainment amenities and subsidize or negotiate to lower the fees and make it easier for an entrepreneur to open up a small liquor shack.

Main problem is that the ocean front land from km 1 to Brisas is almost full of hotels and 3 or 4 residencial streets, the few land without cnosruction is not longer in hands of FONATUR (Fomento Nacional Turistico) is from private owners that are waiting the right time or friend in goverment to get the permits and build new hotels or complex (as the Riu deal with Chacho) and make tons of profit, in the ther side the business man that want to rent an ocean view land have to deal first with an excesive rent, then with the permits for construction, selling liquor and parking space and then he have to pay the following taxes; predial (I do not know the translation) use of federal zone, % from profit of using the federal zone, extra tax for beeing open after midnight, IVA, etc.

Up Date un #8 Beach Restoration- - -

Today the restoration of the beach from Flamingo to Gran Caribe Real begun, the asociation of hotels rent some (dragas) and are taking the sand from the ocean where Wilma re-located it.

The 2nd proyect began on January and they hire the people that "build" Dubay, it is a mega big draga and it is going to cost a fortune.

[cunspin]

Draga is Dredging, Predial is property tax I am pretty sure that there is no Predial on Federal Concessions but they/ We are taxed up the Wazoo in every other way you can think of including Garbage Tax.

[Ana]

I do pay predial in front of the beach for both house and business

[cunspin]

I was just speaking with My Husband about the reason that there are no Restaurants or Bars on the Beach. He Says that it is because Fonatur when Planning Cancun planned for Hotels only on the beach they planned for areas for Malls and areas for Restaurants and thats How Cancun was divided up What they I am sure never planned for was the quantity of Hotels and the general growth of Cancun in such a relatively short amount of time.

[Marooned]

Please keep this thread on topic. There were two posts that were off-topic and that isn't going to be helpful if someone who can actually consider implementing part of the manifesto (planner, politician, architect, developer, hotel owner, tourism official, etc.) takes the time to read this thread. Steve, is it possible to delete these two posts that were off-topic (#14 and #15) to keep this manifesto focused and easier to read? The idea of this manifesto is to have an open discussion on improving Cancun. We all know how off-topic posts can kill an intelligent discussion.

I agree that when Cancun was developed there was seperate zones for everything: hotels, shopping, restaurants, etc. Overall I think it was an excellent plan. If it weren't for FONATUR's success in Cancun other planned resorts like Cabo wouldn't even exist as they do today.

Cancun grew much faster and denser than the planners had imagined. For the most part it is great for vacationers because there are so many choices for hotels, tours, restaurants, activities, shopping, etc. The bad part is that whoever was in charge didn't have the discipline to control the rapid growth and now Cancun has to reinvent itself to some degree.

The lagoon is a cess pool and this needs to be addressed immediately. In fact, I'm not even sure that restaurants should reopen along the lagoon. Really, who wants to eat over that nastiness anyway. To me it is quite simple: either abandon the lagoon and don't have any businesses operating there, or clean up and improve the lagoon (and consider opening it up to the ocean via several canals) and make it an asset. The worse thing to do is to continue to operate businesses in the lagoon and continue to pollute it at the same time. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that one day the lagoon will be so polluted and smelly no one will want to get within 50 yards of it and that is detrimental since Cancun is a very narrow resort island. In effect the continued pollution of the lagoon could impact the viability of Cancun as a world class resort. Imagine waking up in your $300 per night hotel room and walking down to the boulevard to get some breakfast and smelling a putrid garbage dump/sewer. One day all of Cancun could smell like this. The time to do something about it is now.

Another thought is to take a look at what the first-time tourist sees in Cancun upon his or her arrival. The airport is really nice for the most part and the drive to the hotel zone becomes more scenic the closer one gets to the south end of the hotel zone. Somewhere in between there is a disconnect. I've seen trashed-out areas and unplanned roadside development immediately after exiting the airport. First impressions are so important. It is not a long drive from the airport to the south end of the hotel zone and most of the problems are within a mile of the airport. If you can make the drive from the airport to the entry of the hotel zone as attractive as possible it will really heighten the experience of the arriving tourist. We all know how attractive the hotel zone is once you are there. It is simple to control what the tourist sees upon arriving in Cancun since practically everyone goes directly from the airport to their hotel via the south entrance to the hotel zone. Since that first impression is so controlled why not make it as good as it can be? I'm taking about landscaping, trash pickup, palm trees, controlled roadside construction, signage control, etc. Basically I'm saying let's make the portal to paradise perfect.

[Marooned]

How does the beach restoration and reforestation look so far?

[Steve]

Rather than delete I split the two posts off into their own thread and moved them to Life in Cancun.

When you think the thread is finished, I'll do some cleaning up (including this one) before you distribute the link.

I know! I still have comments to make and will try and do so later today

[Marooned]

http://www.cancuncare.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17368

Thanks Steve.

Above is the link for compiling e-mail addresses for hotel owners, tourism officials, planners, developers, politicians, business owners, environmentalists, etc.

Please keep all ideas and criticisms of the manifesto on this thread and e-mail compilations on the other thread.

Thanks

[Marooned]

Anyone have any ideas that aren't covered in the manifesto?

[lisacancun]

Firstly I wanted to congradulate you on your very good ideas. As a local but once tourist I can see many of your points being something that the GVMt should really take seriously if they want to make Cancun an even more succesful vacatin spot.

The bike paths along the beach are a great idea. You see many people jogging along Kukulcan Blvd and the gyms in hotels packed. Thats because people love excercsing and would give anything to ride a bike in beautiful scenery and a safe place. They should also have a bike, stroller and rollerblade rental place.

I also think that in order to improve on Cancun's tropical and vacation feel they need to allow for restaurants and bars to be built along the beach. People love that.

I agree to all your ideas and I also have one that I think will help improve a major problem starting to rise in Cancun.

Traffic! This is becoming a very big problem. I often spend too much time sitting in traffic. Driving becomes nearly impossible during the Mexican holidays. I can honestly say that from La Isla mall to Dady'O it can easily take 45 minutes when in reality its a 7 minute drive. I can walk faster. I think that if they had less buses and taxis it would help this problem. I understand that their are unions for the workers but at the same time there are too many driving the streets. There is no need for 4 or 5 buses stopping one second after the other at the stops. Most of them empty. Taxis are the same. They should at least make regulations on certain hours that they are in the streets. Even maybe alternating hours. Honestly for every 2 cars you see 5 public transits. The traffic also takes away from Cancuns natural beauty and tropical island feel. Soon enough people will associate this as a city and too busy. Just my thoughts..

[Scott in NH]

If you want my opinion on improving Cancun, halt development altogether. There are already too many buildings and too many people. I have been to Mexico 7 times, and I haven't stayed in the hotel zone since my first trip to Mexico fifteen years ago. There is no reason to ever go into it. This vacation paradise will collapse under its own weight.

Yes, I would love to see the lagoon cleaned up. The beauty of Mexico is are the natural wonders, the weather, the culture, and the people. The natural wonders are being overrun by the hordes of tourists with no respect for what they are witnessing. The weather can't be touched. The culture is being watered down with the influx of all the mega hotels. Most of the time in the hotel zone, you could be in Miami and not know the difference. But even the attitudes of the locals seem to be deteriorating from being overworked and having to deal with a bunch of drunken idiots. Eliminate bar tours and all you can drink open bars in the clubs. It serves no good purpose.

Bike paths and walking paths would be a great addition.

I could care less if the giant hotels obliterating the beach are identifiable from the beach.

Businesses in Cancun should only be owned by locals. No European or American conglomerates should be allowed to come in and plunder this income from the Mexicans. Small hotels, small restaurants, and small bars along the beachfront would get the money to where it shoud be, the LOCAL ECONOMY.

Anything that makes the area MORE COMMERCIAL is a BAD IDEA in my opinion.

[lambert13]

Personally, I feel that increased development along the lagoon side of the island could be a very very good thing for Cancun. With a few stipulations of course. In conjunction with the local/state/federal government create a tax fund from new and existing business to be used for the cleanup and maintenance of the lagoon. Private business owners in America, Mexico or anywhere else usually aren't willing to pay extra money for anything that doesn't directly put money into their pocket, so government intervention is a necessity. In New York as well as all over the States, when you develop any land to create some sort of business you always end up kicking exrta money to the locality for public works projects. Whether it be running a new water main that other people along the path can then connect to, or money into a environmental study or many other things that benefit the public. With the proper government oversight, it could almost be run like a neighborhood association where all of the businesses are responsible for and mandated to keeping the lagoon clean. The key to all of this though is efficient and fair policies from the government. That is something that is hard to come by no matter where you are though.

[Marooned]

At this point 3,422 people have read this manifesto. Anyone know if someone from FONATUR, the hotel association, developers, planners, architects, or anyone like that has seen this manifesto?

If you know someone who is influential in Cancun please send him or her the link.

Thanks

[Marooned]

Have any of these improvements taken place since the reconstruction in the wake of Hurricane Wilma?

Are there lots of palm trees now?

Are problem beaches before the hurricane (Hyatt Regency, Westin Regina) going to be fixed during the repair?

[Marooned]

I originally wrote this manifesto a few weeks after Hurrican Wilma struck Cancun. Although I have not had the opportunity to visit Cancun since the disaster I have been impressed with what I have read and seen in photographs.

Are some of the ideas in the manifesto being addressed (Note: I am not taking credit for all the ideas in the manifesto - I just put them together in an electronic document)?

Specific questions:

1. I heard something about the boardwalk. What is that all about?

2. Where are the new sculptures located?

3. How is the beach in Cancun? Is it continuous now from Club Med to Dreams? Is the beach by the Westin still a problem? Does the Hyatt (the one by Dreams) have a beach now? Was any beach reconstruction done on the bayside (the side facing Isla Mujeres)?

4. Are there any more public works projects going on that I may not be aware of?

5. How is the palm tree planting going? Have any palm trees been planted on the beach?

6. Are there any plans for a dedicated bicycle path as I described in my manifesto? This just seems like a natural for an island shaped like the number "7". The last time I was in Cancun I had a difficult time finding a bicycle to rent.

I apologize to those of you who have seen this manifesto before. I wanted new Cancun Care members to see it and hopefully get a full update on the recovery and improvements.

Thanks

[T.J.]

A couple of comments:

There is a bike, walking, jogging path that runs from Bonampak (km 0) to at least past the Carosel, which is next to BBG. I never noticed how far it goes but early mornings it seems like everyone in Cancun is on it but me.

In Peru in July I thankfully had transfers in my travel package but the taxi driver demanded some extra money and, after I told him no, stopped in a gas station and said he did not have enough gas to get to my hotel. I gave him $5 for gas and complained to the tour company. They wanted me to file a police complaint and said this guy, their own subcontactor basically, would go to jail basod on my complaint. Now there is an enforcement policy that would work.

As stated earlier, there must be hundreds of new palm trees in the median from Bonampak until about Embarcadero.

GREAT IDEAS MAROONED. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. MY LAST SUGGESTION IS TO CONSOLIDATE EVERY GOOD IDEA INTO A REPORT FORMAT SUITABLE FOR SUBMISSION TO SOMEONE. MAYBE EVEN SOME EMAIL LINK LIKE A PETITION SO THAT REAMS OF PAPER COULD BE ATTACHED AS PART OF THE PACKAGE. LAURA MAPCHICK SEEMS TO KNOW PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT AND I AM SURE THAT THE PROPER CONTACT COULD BE FOUND TO WHOM THE PACKAGE COULD BE GIVEN. THERE IS ALSO A NEW POSTER ON ANOTHER FORUM, THAT I KNOW AND I BET HE COULD HELP OUT WITH GETTING A PROPERLY FORMATTED PROPOSAL TO THE RIGHT PERSON. I AM SENDING HIM HIS LINK.

FINALLY, AS WITH EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT HERE, IT NEEDS TO BE IN SPANISH, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST SPANISH AND ENGLISH, INCLUDING THE EMAIL PETITIONS. MAYBE EVEN A GRASS ROOTS GROUP WHO WOULD GATHER SIGNATURES IN THE HOTEL ZONE.

GO FOR IT