Playa del Carmen, MX

Friday, November 11, 2005

Playa del Carmen Report

La Macchia and Governor of Quintana Roo Report 'Estamos Abierto' - We Are Open

MILWAUKEE, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/

-- The Mark Travel Corporation's chiefoperating officer and executive vice president, Bill La Macchia, Jr., flewinto Cancun this week to make a first-hand assessment of the Riviera Maya inthe aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. The Mark Travel Corporation carries about a million passengers a year toMexico through its vacation companies that include Funjet Vacations,TransGlobal Vacations, ATA Vacations, United Vacations and US AirwaysVacations. La Macchia, by telephone, briefed other company executives today followinga meeting he had with the Governor of Quintana Roo, Felix Gonzalez Canto, andSecretary of Tourism, Gabriela Rodriguez. La Macchia has been touring the Riviera Maya region for the past two daysand said, "I am very pleased and happy with the progress they are making inthe recovery effort. The Playa del Carmen and 5th Avenue area is already openand ready for business. The rest of the Riviera Maya, south of Cancun, isalso much better than I expected. Right now, about 50 percent of theproperties are open and fully-operational. By mid-December, the Governor ofQuintana Roo and hoteliers say 75 percent of the hotels will be fully open bymid-December, and they are on-track for 95 percent operational by year-end inMaya Riviera." Governor Canto told La Macchia he is very pleased with the progress andconfident with the investment that is being made in Cancun. Today, there areample hotels and restaurants open in the Riviera Maya that are ready toprovide people with an enjoyable experience. La Macchia concluded, "I've been driving around and have seen it myself.There should be no hesitation to book a vacation here for this winter. Peoplefrom other countries are already here enjoying the destination."

Cancun and Playa del Carmen report

Storm-ravaged Cancun wants tourists to return

TERESA BORDEN

Billions of dollars in damage from Hurricane Wilma notwithstanding, Cancun, Mexico, is open for business and pleasure.
Moreover, it's gearing up for a relaunch in just over a month, as the peak tourist season begins, that will reintroduce U.S. and European fun-seekers to a brand-new city, says Artemio Santos, general manager of Cancun's convention and visitors' bureau.
Santos was in Atlanta to promote the city's rebuilding efforts. The rest of his staff has fanned out to do the same across the United States.
"We're not saying that we're closed, because we're not," Santos said. "We are in a rebuilding process that is very fast, and we are going to have a new Cancun."
They have a mammoth task ahead of them.
In mid-October, Hurricane Wilma, one of the last major storms of a devastating 2005 hurricane season, parked for 2 1/2 days over the resort city, dumping hours of rain, blowing tons of Cancun's famed powder-white sand from beaches and damaging up to 90 percent of its hotel rooms, according to local officials. Down the coast, on the developing Maya Riviera resort area, about 60 percent of the hotel rooms were damaged.
Of about 52,000 hotel rooms in the two resort areas, only about 20,000 are usable, and only about 5,000 in Cancun.
Santos put the overall economic damage at about $3 billion. That's not including $15 million a day in lost income as tourists stay away.
"Wilma I believe was worse than Gilbert," Santos said, referring to the 1988 hurricane that caused $429 million in damage to the resort area. "It has been a very destructive year."
Thousands of tourists who were evacuated to crowded, undersupplied shelters complained that tour companies and local officials had been slow to inform them about Hurricane Wilma, and many vowed never to return.
Officials are right to worry about repeat tourism from the United States. Annual statistics show that the vast majority of visitors to Cancun are American, and that figure has been growing yearly. In 2004, 1.75 million visitors to Cancun were from the United States. The second-largest number, just under 300,000, were from Europe.
Santos says that has to change. He sees Cancun as a gateway to the Americas for Europeans, and he believes the largest growth market for the resort will come from Europe in future years. He even envisions package deals that will take tourists on circuits including Havana, Cancun and Miami, the same way American tourists now go on package tours to several European cities.
But for that to happen, much money remains to be spent. Mexican President Vicente Fox has pledged "whatever it takes" to rebuild the resort that, by itself, accounts for 33 percent of yearly revenue in an industry that is the third-largest income source for Mexico, behind oil and migrant remittances.
Santos said the Mexican government has contributed $20 million to beach restoration; $10 million to rebuild infrastructure along Kukulkan Boulevard, Cancun's hotel row; a $550 million credit line through the Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank for hotel rebuilding; a $310 million credit line for small-business rebuilding and refinancing; and retraining money for hospitality workers.
In addition, a fund for hurricane-prone cities has been made available for a more long-term project: burying power lines and hurricane-proofing buildings along Kukulkan Boulevard.
"We have to change our norms for construction, for design," Santos said. "If I'm going to rebuild, I'm going to do it a different way, a way that's more adequate to the region."
Fox has set a Dec. 15 deadline to essentially relaunch Cancun, and that means that 80 percent of the hotel rooms have to be available, an increase of 20,000 rooms over now. In addition, trees have to be replanted and public areas restored.
That's a tall order, but Santos says he's optimistic. Nearly 20 days since the storm struck, energy grids are 93 percent restored in Cancun and on Cozumel Island, 98 percent restored in Playa del Carmen on the Maya Riviera, and 90 percent restored in Isla Mujeres.
"Almost the entire affected area is energized," he said, even though the storm downed 10,000 light posts and 200 energy towers.
And despite the destruction, none of the long-term development projects for Cancun, including golf courses and a Formula One racetrack, was canceled.
Santos said he grew so used to seeing destruction after the hurricane that he was shocked when he walked into the city's airport Monday, on his way to Atlanta, and saw everything in its place.
"I perceived nothing," Santos said. "No evidence of damage."

Comments from the owners of Auja Restaurant off 5th Ave

Playa Lovers!Well, the 48 hour wrath of Wilma could not dampen our Mayan spirit here in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya. We are rejoicing and ready to share our incredible paradise with you and your friends -- as we always have.Ajua Maya, our restaurant, came through like a good luck charm and our Wild Fresh Mayans as well. If anything, they are more joyous than ever before after experiencing the rain and wind and rain and wind and rain and wind and rain and wind -- a true Mayan cleansing!!Playa del Carmen Mayan Cleansing and RebirthJorge, Alejandro, our entire Mayan staff and myself are so grateful for having the pleasure to share one of Mother Nature's great cleansing and to feel the spiritual energy of the rebirth.What a gift from the universe -- the beaches are wider and more beautiful; the cenotes and caves are cleansed; the sea is as beautiful as ever; the water supply has been replenished; the trees pruned and ready for a lush new presence; birds are chirping; the fish are running; and life is refreshing -- a true gift for all.We are rejoicing and will wish to share this with all of you -- so come to Playa as soon as you can, join the jubilance, and marvel in the awesome rejuvenating power of nature and its universe. BrendaThe Wonderful Truth -- Hotels and More – go to www.rivieramaya.com – the official Riviera Maya website for the promotion of the Riviera Maya.The Riviera Maya (south of Cancun to Tulum) is up and running and ready for tourists. Flights schedules are resuming normalcy today. Yesterday we received tourists from Holland and Miami! Most hotels are up and running now, including those on the beachfront. We know this as a fact since our own Public Relations Director has gone and visited each and every one, talking with concierges and the reception staffs for the "real scoop".The smaller ones never really closed; the larger all inclusives as well. Some of the all inclusive and large hotels will be opening at 30-50% capacity for the next couple of weeks -- and guess what -- for this time of year that is their occupancy rate! By Thanksgiving, most will be open at 100% and you can guarantee by Christmas all will be.Blue Parrot had a celebration just a couple of days ago and is back on its party track once again -- and their rooms are up and running as well. Same for the restaurants and bars -- Ajua opened Sunday night and was the first to open in town just as Wilma meandered on out of our area; most others 1-2 days afterwards. Of course it was difficult for a couple of days and those days have past.Electricity, water, DSL service -- we have it all -- and remember that Ajua is a FREE wireless hotspot for all you diehard workers out their.HERE IS A GREAT STORY ABOUT AJUA MAYA's WILD FRESH MAYANS and their dedication and commitment to you and to all of us. Most of our waiters and our manager live in Cancun and the highway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen was impassable for several days due to flooding. Each one of them waded and swam through water up to their necks for about a mile or more to get to the other side. They then waited on the highway until they could get a ride to Playa and, once they arrived, worked to clean up and reopen Ajua!We are all eternally grateful for their spirit, their love and compassion, and their positive energy to see us and our staff through a most difficult couple of days to the rebirth on the other side. On November 1st through the 2nd, we will celebrate the Mayan and Aztec festival -- the Day of the Dead -- a festival to remember your ancestors and to party with them in this life. We will do the same with life, energy, gratefulness and of course Tequila, Tamales, Day of the Dead bread, flowers and stories of those who have gone through this path before us.We hope you will share this day and these experiences with us through your thoughts and your prayers.Brenda Alfaro -- loving every moment of the journey.Government Unity and Cooperation -- rarely a phrase you actually see these days. If there is one story to actually tell it is the incredible work and cooperation we experienced with the local, state and federal government here in Mexico -- and the federal government is a political arch rival of the local and state governments here -- and all worked well.They federal government had relief and repair workers staged and ready to enter the moment Wilma finalllllllly left. Within 24 hours electricity and water were restored to the center part of Playa del Carmen. Food and water came in and was distributed 3-4 times a day in the local neighborhoods in town. Free lamina to replace roofs was provided by the local governments to all who came -- and many did.Within 48 hours the cleanup commenced of all the weak and rotten tree limbs and plants, buildings, palapas, and structures that flew around and that work has just about finished in all neighborhoods.We, as a people here, heard no apologies by government officials nor the blame game -- since they all worked together in an organized, efficient, and cooperative team.Sam's Club opened it doors to everyone - member or not. Prices stayed the same. Gasoline was available during the storm and was replenished within 24 hours of Wilma's departure.The tourists were taken care of by their hotels with safe accommodations and hot food. The ones that suffered the most were those who never left those hotels after Wilma's departure and, of course, those in Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Cozumel where Wilma hit with all her fury for 48 hours. Those who ventured out found a town up and running with wonderful people ready to serve and share life with them again.What can you do to help?The most important is to please go on the chat rooms and message boards and relay this message to them. Forward this email to all you know -- get the real news out.

Thanks,Brenda and Jorge Alfaro
Ajua Maya Restaurant and Ajua Weddings

"Paying it Forward on the Riviera Maya"

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Video of Wilma just North of Playa del Carmen

Hola Amigos!

Check out the link below to see what a little extra rain can do...

http://www.playamayanews.com/vids/PMN_Exclusive_Wilma_Video.wmv

Update from Mexican news source

Wilma blamed for thousands of job losses

Wire servicesEl UniversalNovember 10, 2005The governor of the state hardest hit last month by Hurricane Wilma says at least 3,000 people lost their jobs because of damage done by the storm.
Félix González Canto, governor of Quintana Roo, said in reporting the figure that most of those people probably will be rehired once the Caribbean coastal resort area that includes Cancun gets back on its feet.
The government of Quintana Roo estimates that 800,000 residents of the state make their living in some part of the tourist industry.
Most hotels and other enterprises catering to foreign visitors pledged to President Vicente Fox that they would keep employees on the payroll while repairs and reconstruction proceed, and most have kept that promise.
González said reconstruction, which is expected to absorb many laid-off workers, will cost about US2.25 billion, with most of that coming from insurers and the rest from the federal government.
BIG TOURIST DRAW Quintana Roo is Mexico's main tourist destination, drawing more than 10.8 million visitors last year.
Authorities and hoteliers estimate that Wilma damaged 80 percent of the tourism infrastructure in Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Holbox and Isla Mujeres when the slowmoving storm battered the region for three days beginning Oct. 21.
Mexico earned US8.4 billion in revenue from tourism during the first eight months of this year, with the Caribbean resorts accounting for 40 percent of the total.
President Vicente Fox said in late October that his administration will provide at least US316 million worth of loans to spur speedy reconstruction.
The president also pledged sweeping tax breaks for business investment in the tourist mecca, with some expenditures completely tax-deductible, and said the federal government will immediately provide funds for beach restoration in the area.
Prior to Wilma's rampage across the Yucatan, authorities were expecting the country's revenues from tourism to reach US13 billion in 2005, a gain of US2 billion over last year.