“They ordered him stand and hold his hands up. It wasn’t okay,” she said. The harassment was inescapable. So too was feeling like there was any real help.
Which is why the current taxi issues and alert might bring Tulum’s growing crime issues to greater attention. With more hotels being built in the area around town, like the two new Hilton properties last year, reliable taxis and transportation will be needed to thrive. Harassing and assaulting customers cannot be a norm.
Tulum’s Boom and Crime
It’s not a surprise that where more visitors go, there’s more crime. It’s just that it’s expected to be more of the pickpocket variety, not assault and violent crime. One usually stays home to avoid that.
However, the issue of violence in Quintana Roo has sadly has been increasing along with the boom and construction, something the new U.S. State Department alert indicates.
“A report by Mexican news outlet La Reforma, from earlier this year, indicated that at least five cartels are now operating in the Riviera Maya and reports of violent crime in Tulum alone had gone up 783 percent since 2019.” Daily Beast, November 2021
