Cancun, Riviera Maya: updates after Hurricane Wilma

--If you've reached this page by Search, please continue to this more recent page about Cancun post-Hurricane Wilma-- sorry for the extra click...

When Hurricane Wilma slammed into Cancun and the Riviera Maya in October, she battered Mexico's tourism industry: 38% of arrivals visit this region, with its many all-inclusives (such as this Cancun beachfront beauty, right.) The highest levels of government -- and Mexico's President himself-- are focussed on repairing the resorts, and in some places, rebuilding the beach itself. Read about recovery.

See also:

• Cancun Hotel Openings, at the Cancun Tourism site
• Hotel Updates for Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Cozumel- at Apple Vacations

continued below...

Cancun and Riviera Maya: post-Hurricane Wilma Recovery

Given that the Cancun and Riviera Maya areas account for some 38% of Mexico's out-of-country tourist arrivals, it's no surprise that government in Mexico is trying hard to get the resort zones back to normal operation as soon as possible.

Mexican President Vicente Fox has taken aim at the date December 15 -- just before the start of the busy holiday season-- and hopes that 80% of the tourism industry in this region will be operational by then.

{This seems to be at odds with earlier estimates for the Cancun Hotel Zone, where most of the 140 hotels and resorts had some degree of damage: of Cancun’s total of 27,500 lodging units, it's been projected that 8,700 will open by Nov. 25, 15, 800 by Dec. 15, and 16,800 by Dec. 23, 2005; and 20,900 by Jan. 15 2006.)

Meanwhile, Cancun's airport tower has been functional since November 1, and flights are increasing steadily. Note: if you have flights into Cancun in coming weeks, double-check that your flight is operating!

And then there's the question of Cancun's beaches... In some areas, sand has been swept out to sea, and may need to be pulled back from as much as 500 to 600 feet offshore.

The Riviera Maya suffered less damage, and projections for recovery are optomistic: better. The Riviera Maya Tourist Promotion Board reported that -- as of Nov. 1 2005-- 50% of hotel inventory was operational, with a further 20% expected by Nov. 15, and 90% capacity expected by December 15, before the important holiday season.

For updates about specific resorts, see:

• Cancun Hotel Openings, at the Cancun Tourism site
• Hotel Updates for Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Cozumel- at Apple Vacations

The Riviera Maya Tourist Board is also posting updates.