WELCOME TO NEWS COZUMEL!
Happy New Years Cozumel! In this issue we feature: A Bronze Statue of Jacques-Yves Cousteau Submerged, Cozumel Firefighters on Facebook, Motorcycle Problem on the boardwalk in Cozumel, Vehicle Testing Coming to Cozumel, A Report on Tourism in Cozumel, and An Elevator to be installed in City Hall. Have a wonderful month!
BRONZE STATUE OF JACQUES-YVES COUSTEAU SUBMERGED
As part of Scuba Fest 2013, a bronze statue of renowned researcher Jacques-Yves Cousteau was submerged into the sea in front of Villa Blanca this past Sunday. In the presence of his son Jean-Michel Cousteau, the statue honors Cmdr Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s memory, the man who opened our eyes to discover the sea underwater, and having realized the beauties of the Cozumel coral reefs declared “Cozumel is one of the best diving sites in the world, thanks to the visibility and its marine life proficiency.”
He was the co-inventor of the autonomous breathing regulator system, and with this device allowed the world to discover the underwater side of the sea, starting with the amazing movie “The World of Silence”. Aboard the legendary Calypso, CDR Jacques-Yves Cousteau, his wife Simone and his sons Jean-Michel and Philippe dove all around the world, and made Cozumel famous in America as well as in Europe.
COZUMEL FIREFIGHTERS ON FACEBOOK
The Cozumel Fire Department has entered age of Social Network to raise public awareness for prevention of accidents in the home. Alberto Borges May, commander of Firemen, acknowledged the importance of e-tool s to reach the Cozumel population. The Fire fan page Cozumel / Cozumel Fire Department was established on October 31, 2012 and has 231 members.
Since joining the Facebook the account had been used only on rare occasions. However, on December 8 they started to publicize fire prevention and awareness to reduce fire hazards in homes. Among the first images are an electric current that is connected to 18 sets of Christmas lights, which could cause a domestic fire by the power surge.
MOTORCYCLE PROBLEM ON THE BOARDWALK IN COZUMEL
Illegally parked Motorcycles are creating a problem on the boardwalk in Cozumel. The problem has been identified as the inability of Olympus Meters SA de CV, to prevent motorcyclist from evading paying the parking meters along the boardwalk in Cozumel. Victor Manuel Villalobos Negrete, CEO of the dealership, planned to install spaces for motorcycles parked on Avenida Rafael E. Melgar, where you would have a meter to regulate their stay, but has not complied with this provision.
The government and business have begun a campaign to prevent these vehicles from parking in the area to prevent congestion. Baduy Antonio Moscoso, Municipal Treasurer, said “The main problem (on the boardwalk) is motorcycles that are parked in prohibited places.” He stated that they will be enforcing parking regulations by fining violators starting in January of 2014. Details of the plan will be released in the next few days.
VEHICLE TESTING COMING TO COZUMEL
Everything seems to indicate that an operation called “Vereficentros in Quintana Roo” is coming to Cozumel in 2014. There will be two modules located in the Lopez Mateos colony.
The state congress authorized the operation of verification centers in the state, which have claimed to reduce the levels of pollution in different cities.
It was reported that the cost for the service review and hologram for vehicles will ranges from 200 to 600 pesos, depending on model, type and year of the car. Motorcycles rates have not been set yet.
Vehicles from model year 2005 and earlier will pay about 200 pesos every six months. New cars will be paying 600 pesos every two years. The inspection will be a requirement of attaining legal vehicle documentation.
It was also leaked that the companies that will operate this service in Cozumel, are Environmental Projects Ltd. and Vereficentros Arena Blanca SA de CV, both in Mexico City.
TOURISM IN COZUMEL
It was reported that more than 2 million 400 thousand tourists have come to Cozumel by cruise ship in the past eleven months of this year. These visitors have an average nine-hour stay on the island.
Cruise tourists in Cozumel form 80 percent of all tourists who come to the island each year, but they represent only half of the total economic activity generated by tourism, and do not spend much money.
This means that the remaining 20 percent of tourists that come to the island are staying in hotels and to a lesser extent, those coming from the Riviera Maya are responsible for the other 50 percent of the economic activity.
Two tourists staying at a hotel spend in a day the same amount as eight visitors on a cruise. Non-cruise tourists average 2.5 days on the island, compared to eight to nine hours that cruise visitors remain ashore.
Cruise ships arriving in Cozumel come from the ports of Mobile, Alabama, New Orleans, Louisiana, Miami Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Galveston, Texas.
Once on the island, about half of the cruise visitors take part in preplanned activities, among which include tours in jeeps caravans to the beach, and guided tours to places like the Benito Juarez Municipal Market, where the curious tourists come to see the shops and enjoy regional cuisine.
Those who do not take part in such activities and disembark to explore the island on their own are usually tourists on a budget that already know where to go and have their favorite places. Many of these tourists are repeat visitors to the island. They tend to shop at local supermarkets and the Municipal Market.
Around the docks there are businesses dedicated to their exclusive service with signs and menus, not only in English but in Filipino, Pakistani and other languages spoken by the crew.
While the average stay of Cruise tourists and crew on the island is eight to nine hours, the estimated spending per person ranges from $120 to $80 U.S.D. The ‘popular consensus between vendors, employees and business owners of the tourist areas is that tourists only spend about $ 50 each on their visit to the port . The real amount is unknown and the only authority that has a method of measuring the money spent is a voluntary survey handed to ship passengers.
However much the amount may be, it is less than local entrepreneurs would like, this is supported by the number of people walking around the stores and the number of closed businesses in areas that were once coveted by tourists.
AN ELEVATOR TO BE INSTALLED IN CITY HALL
An elevator is to be installed in City Hall in 2014 to comply with new regulations. Article 36 stipulates that local authorities must provide facilities for free movement and transportation to persons with disabilities, among which include sidewalks, ramps, public telephones, stairs or bridges and parking.
The regulation was published in the Official Gazette of the State in January 2013, and four months later, passed in the Cozumel City Council. The purpose of the local law is to prevent discrimination, and create access to public places, workplaces and shops for people with disabilities.
Novelo Aurora Miranda, chairman of the Committee on Social Assistance, announced that an elevator will be installed in City Hall on the west side of the building so that people with disabilities can access the second floor. Aurora Miranda recognized the need for the Municipality to take the lead on this issue and stated that ramps will also be installed for easier access.
The council does not know the details of penalties for not respecting the regulation that ensures the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Cozumel. They also have not announced where the funding will be coming from for the elevator.
AN URGENT REQUEST FROM A VISITOR TO COZUMEL
We recently visited your city on a Royal Caribbean Cruise and lost an Olympus camera while there. This was our first cruise and my wife has been very ill and the photos that are on it are very important to us. Please let me know how to place an ad in your paper.
Upon our arrival we took a Taxi to the Forum Shops. We then walked back toward the Royal Caribbean docks and stopped in several shops. We ate at a corner restaurant past Del Sol. We then took a taxi to Mr. Sancho’s beach club. We left the beach club in a taxi van and were dropped off at the Taxi terminal where we stopped at a few shops on our way back to the dock to board the ship. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Billy Goodin
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