The Secretary of the Environment, Alicia Bárcena, confirmed this Tuesday that the Perfect Day México project, promoted by the Royal Caribbean shipping company, will not be approved.
“I would like to inform you that Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Project will not be approved… we know that the company is also seeking to withdraw from the project, but we as Semarnat are not going to approve it,” he declared.
The decision ended months of uncertainty. The tourist development, planned for the coast of Quintana Roo, had generated strong criticism from environmental organizations.
Activists celebrated the announcement. The Selvame organization thanked Bárcena and asked that other projects that threaten ecosystems be stopped. They demanded to prioritize the protection of the Mesoamerican reef, the second largest in the world.
The official rejection comes as Royal Caribbean considers voluntarily withdrawing its application. So far, the company has not issued a public statement.
Semarnat did not detail the technical foundations that support the denial. However, civil organizations had pointed out irreversible impacts on the marine biodiversity of the region.
The decision marks a precedent in the review of tourism megaprojects in protected coastal areas. It remains to be seen whether the federal government will maintain the same stance on similar initiatives.




