The Mexican government anticipates that the Mayan Train development project, which was approved by the indigenous communities of the Yucatan Peninsula in December 2019, will begin operations in December 2023.
The train will connect the states of Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Chiapas and involves 1,500 kilometers of new rail infrastructure for tourists, passengers and cargo.
It is also expected that the Mayan Train will have the capacity to transport 3 million visitors per year.
According to the Mexican government, the estimated investment for the Mayan Train is between 120,000 and 150,000 million pesos, and the construction phase is projected to generate 300,000 direct jobs.
Initially, on November 24 and 25, 2018, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Morena held a popular consultation.
During this referendum, voters approved the construction of the Tren Maya, which would connect Mayan archaeological and tourist sites.
The Mayan Train was a four-year project that would cost US$7.4 billion and connect Palenque to Cancun.
A series of protests and legal challenges have slowed the completion of the Mayan Train.
Cancun is located near beaches, coral reefs, ecological parks and Mayan archaeological sites.
Cancun’s airport serves travelers visiting the Riviera Maya, which extends from Cancun south to the Mayan ruins of Tulum, and includes hotels and coastal resorts in the towns of Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Akumal. According to the Mexican Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), it is estimated that the Cancun metropolitan area (including the Riviera Maya) will have a total of 82,717 hotel rooms by December 31, 2022.
Mayan Train
The Sectur designs and implements sectoral policy, the objectives of which are outlined in the Tourism Sector Program (Prosectur) 2020-2024, based on the National Development Plan 2019-2024.
Mexico pursues an inclusive and sustainable tourism model. Among the objectives pursued to foster the growth of the sector is the diversification of tourism destinations and tourism markets.
Consequently, Mexico’s image abroad has been strengthened and digital platforms have been established to promote the different destinations and tourism products offered by Mexico; and projects such as the Mayan Train have been implemented to promote historical-cultural tourism in the Yucatan Peninsula.
