Mexican hotel sectors call for regulation of digital vacation rentals

Hotel industry representatives in Mexico are calling for stricter regulations on digital vacation rental platforms to ensure fair competition and public safety.

In Tulum, Quintana Roo, David Ortiz Mena, president of the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council, warned that thousands of vacation rentals are operating in irregular zones lacking adequate infrastructure. He noted that these properties place excessive pressure on essential services such as potable water, drainage, electricity, and waste collection. Ortiz Mena also cautioned that rapid, unregulated development in remote or unauthorized areas poses risks to tourists and can lead to increased insecurity.

Similarly, in Aguascalientes, the Mexican Association of Hotels and Motels has urged state and municipal governments to establish a registry for digital lodging services. Francisco Javier Mendoza López, president of the association, argued that these platforms create an uneven playing field, as they offer entire homes or apartments under different commercial models than traditional hotels that rent individual rooms. The association is currently engaging with legislators to seek regulatory alternatives.