If you visit Cancun, you are most likely to stay at the Hotel Zone aka Zona Hotelera. At a glance, this area might seem like a common hotel strip, but it’s conception and development is a considerable feat of engineering. The Hotel Zone is a landmark project in Cancun, and it has dramatically changed the infrastructure and environment of the region. 

The first hotels, according to mexicancaribbean.travel, opened in 1974. Before the hotels, Cancun was a series of 66ft-wide sand dunes shaped like number sevens. The region had a population of about 100 people and it was virtually unknown. In an attempt to boost the economy through tourism with resorts, the Mexican government began gathering information on other popular destinations such as Miami beach and Acapulco. According to earthobservatory.nassa.gov, the government compiled data such as number of tourists, number of hotel rooms, average temperatures, rainfall, and hurricane events. From all the candidate locations, Cancun was selected because of the great weather, white sand, and blue water. Cancun is also near archeological sites Chichen Itza and Tulum. Additionally, Cancun had a high level of poverty and no primary industry. The project was approved in 1960 and began in 1970—the project had 3 objectives: 1. To build a tourism zone without permanent residential areas, 2. Build a residential zone for permanent residents, and 3. To build an international airport. This also brought the first infrastructure projects for drinking water, sewage, and electricity (mexiancaribbean.travel.)

Equally important, while the economy in Cancun has created a large revenue, this development has had a toll on the environment. According to a research article, the 2 million tourists-a-year industry has created a water pollution issue. The local water treatment plants cannot handle all the sewage generated by hotels, and the sewage water ends up in the sea which affects ecosystems and coral growth. All the resorts in the area also generate garbage that ends up in illegal landfills (earthobservatory.nasa.gov.)

All things considered, the Hotel Zone is Cancun is a manmade feat, and has become one of the most popular traveling destinations in the world. While it has brought economic benefits to the Mexican people, it is important to consider how a project of this magnitude can negatively affect the environment.