Tulum hotel shut down
Diamante K, a Tulum hotel shut down last week.
Playa del Carmen and the Mayan Riviera love tourists and are one of the top tourist sites in the world, but they work at balancing tourism with ecology and environmentalism. The Mayan Riviera, which merges with the waters of the Caribbean Sea, is a coastal strip that stretches more than 80 miles from Cancun to Tulum and Punta Allen. In Tulum tourism is less developed and it is where most of the Mayan communities in the region live and maintain their traditions, customs and culture. Recently there have been a number of hotel closings in Tulum due to several factors including destruction of the environment, including Diamante, a Tulum hotel shut down last week.
Diamante K has been shut down due to environmental destruction. The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) said they closed the Diamante K, owned by businessman and actor Roberto Palazuelos Badeaux, in Tulum National Park. According to Profepa, the hotel severely affected the forest and general ecosystem in the area and was built without authorization.
Their office reported that due to complaints by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the community responsible for Tulum National Park, an investigation was launched on the environmental impact of Diamante K.
They discovered that the accredited Quintana Roo inspectors designated for tourism developments did not submit the environmental impact statement as required by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).
Profepa found that a fence had been constructed around the perimeter of the Diamante K, which in turn, destroyed coastal forest species on the state’s protected list. These types of low shrubs protect the surrounding soil from harsh weather elements and are home to numerous species of small marine life including the striped iguana, which is currently on the state’s endangered species list.
After the violation discovery, Profea closed the hotel to prevent the continuation of any future development. Additional administrative proceedings are also being sought against the owner of the project in order to restore the destroyed ecosystem.
