Currently, one of the most significant investments being made in the region by the public sector is the Mayan Train project, which will cover 1,500 kilometers from the State of Chiapas to Quintana Roo, passing through Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatan.
This project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2023, seeks to boost economic growth in the southeastern region of the country, generating jobs and new attractions to encourage tourism, as well as promoting sustainable development in this area of the country, where there are important ecological reserves.
According to the federal government, this is one of the three priority projects of this administration; as of today, consulting firms such as Oxford Business Group have highlighted the positive economic impact of investments in far-reaching infrastructure such as the Tren Maya, this world-class approval that is underscored by the preference of millions of tourists from all over the world who visit this region of great natural and cultural richness year after year.
With a budget of approximately 139 billion pesos, the Mayan Train will open new roads for the mobilization of merchandise and will link the indigenous peoples and communities of the southeast, favoring the flow of people, goods and services, and will respond to four premises that, according to the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism, have been proposed in this mega-project: a balance between four aspects: economic, social, environmental and social.
The objective will be to increase the number of visitors staying in the region and achieve an economic benefit of 148 billion pesos, and to increase the number of daily passengers from just over 43,000 in 2023 to more than 100,000 in 2052 and a cargo capacity of 980.8 million tons per year.
Thus, in the Riviera Maya it is expected that as a result of these great bets in terms of tourism and economic infrastructure, not only will a steady growth rate be maintained in the coming years, but also that this will invite investors in other industries to trust these destinations to do business, where a high profitability and return on investment is already guaranteed.
Playa del Carmen, one of the fastest growing cities in the country
The State Population Council and the National Urban System (2018), have ranked Playa del Carmen, head of the municipality of Solidaridad, as one of the fastest growing cities nationwide. Its almost 90 kilometers of coastline, tourist services, range of activities, multiculturalism, air, land and sea connectivity, as well as its unique natural attractions, led in three decades to this then small city of fishing tradition, to be a key point for the development of the region and the commercial corridor of the Riviera Maya, which has encouraged domestic and foreign investment in various sectors not only in tourism services, but also in infrastructure, medical tourism, renewable energy and protected agriculture, to name a few.
According to the Secretary of Economic Development and Investment Attraction of the municipality of Solidaridad, in its Catalogue of Investments and Economic Diversification (2018-2021), one of the projects in the infrastructure sector that are contemplated to promote among investors and that with its implementation will continue to boost the local and regional economy is the creation of a land transport route between the hotel zone of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, which would allow a two-way tourism between the two destinations and tourists access to more activities and recreational spaces during their stay.
Other projects on the table include the construction of a convention and entertainment center as well as a hotel museum.
According to UN-Habitat, the drivers of urban prosperity are intrinsically linked to those that as a whole respond to the needs of people to achieve a sense of well-being, through six elements that distinguish productivity, deployment of development infrastructure (basic urban services, housing, equipment, transportation and communications), quality of life, quality of life, and quality of life.
life, equity and social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and urban governance and legislation1 .
A holistic approach to the growth of cities is essential for prosperity to spread and for development to be sustainable.
