CHICHÉN ITZÁ closure, a hard blow to vendors

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CHICHÉN ITZÁ, Tinum.— The closure of the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá on 1, 2 and 3 of this month, in the middle of Holy Week, will hit hundreds of tourist service providers in the Pisté area and its surroundings, such as they are hoteliers, restaurateurs, artisans, tourist guides, and all businesses that depend on tourism, including those in Valladolid.

Luis Armando Chay Flores, a tourist guide to the Chichén Itzá archaeological zone, who goes to work every day, recalled that for a year they have been going through serious economic problems as a result of the pandemic.

However, last September when the archaeological zone was opened, they began to perceive a slight recovery, although they only accept the income of the 30% that normally entered the archaeological zone, but with this they obtained some income to survive.

Now that the authorities decide to close the area, the blow is hard, according to the tourist guide, who by way of example said that those who are engaged in the same activity, on these dates can earn up to $ 2,000 per day, what they won’t say that in all three it will be $ 6,000 what they will stop earning.

He commented that they normally have a fee of $ 1,000 to guide visitors in the English language and $ 900 in Spanish and each of them can enter the field up to twice a day, precisely on these days, therefore the impact is harsh.

In the case of hoteliers, which by the way in the area and in the Pisté police station there are about 200 rooms on average, now only 30% of the occupancy is being accepted, but on these dates, they may increase a little more taking into account that many people have long made their reservations to reach the community, which they did not do this time.

In the normal season, on these dates the hotels reach up to 80% in their occupancy, however, now everything is different and much worse with the closure of the archaeological zone.

As for the artisans, there are more than 600 who are affected, who this season each of them can earn up to $ 600 per day, so that they will stop receiving around $ 1,800 in the three days, in the case of being employed, but the owners won’t earn much more.

In addition, other service providers such as stores that are in the police station, taxi drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers or street vendors, will be affected by the closure of the area, even even the service providers in the center of the city of Valladolid will not be able to see movement commercial, because tourism will not arrive.

They hope that as of Sunday, that is, in the second week of the Easter holidays, the situation will improve for everyone, and that tourism will arrive as everyone expects it

Source: yucatan.com.mx

The Yucatan Post