Quintana Roo to spend US $51mn on waterworks in 2011

According to Quintano Roo's Water Authority,"On the instructions of Governor Roberto Borge Angulo, the director general of the Committee on Water Supply and Sewerage (CAPA), José Alberto Alonso, performs the necessary steps to achieve this year a target of 600 million pesos of investment, and run water works supply, sanitation, sanitary and storm drainage for the benefit of the inhabitants of Quintana Roo.




The holder of CAPA, said that for now have a portfolio of 480 million 435 thousand pesos, of which 55 percent are federal funds through the National Water Commission (Conagua), and 45 percent remainder is provided by the state for more than 75 works around the Institution.



The official explained that the investment total, 9 million 530 thousand pesos, will be used to increase coverage of sewerage services; 223 000 000 868 000 dollars for the expansion of the systems of water supply and for improving efficiency; 246 000 000 260 000 pesos will be for sanitation works and 777 thousand dollars for storm drainage.



He said more than 438 million pesos, will be channeled through the following investment programs: "Program Construction and Rehabilitation of Potable Water and Sanitation in Urban Areas (APASZU)", "Program Construction and Rehabilitation Potable Water and Sanitation in Rural Areas (APASZR) "and" Duty Refund Program (prodded). "



Likewise, the "Program for constructing water treatment plants waste," "Basic Infrastructure Program for the care of Indigenous Peoples (PIBAI)"; "HABITAT", "Programme for the development of priority areas (PDZP ) ", the" Agreement CAPA-DHC "," CAPA-IP Convention, "the Program" Clean Water "and the program" Water Culture ".



Finally, Alonso Ovando said that with these resources will be invested throughout the territory of Quintana Roo, ensuring the improvement of services, and stressed that continued efforts are necessary to obtain additional resources to enable it to implement more works, for better development.

Service: Why the Riviera is a place to keep coming back.

The reason why people keep coming back is because of stories like this next one...According to recent article on CNN," In June 2010, Joel Contreras, a brakeman on the beach, chatting with one of the foreign guests of the Ritz-Carlton Cancun, a firm that ranks first in the 2011 Super Business Expansion magazine in the category of companies with between 501 and 3.000 employees.

During the conversation, the client told him that he would like his youngest son to learn to speak a little Spanish. The boy was a lover of soccer and the South Africa World Cup. Contreras had an idea: buy the album World released in Spanish. He sought out the manager to tell his initiative and together called Luis Vallejo, another employee who was outside the hotel. Upon receiving the call, Vallejo went for the album.

When he arrived back with the gift, the guest had left. Without hesitation, Contreras left the hotel to the Cancun airport. Arrived just as the client's family was about to board their flight. Contreras handed the Customer the gift, and so created an emotional bond between him and the brand.

That customer will return, says Paulina Feltrin, director of public relations in the chain. This decision is one of many made by employees of the hotel. All thanks to a card (which is part of the uniform) called Gold Standard, that under a diamond-shaped diagram clearly explains the values, the steps of service."

Just another story of great service that makes the Riviera as great as it is...

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Hurricane Protection at its best

As the 2011 hurricane season makes landfall, finding the best way to protect your investment and family will be of paramount concern once again. Thankfully, a new protection technology development has finally made its way to the Riviera Maya.

It is called The AstroGuard Hurricane Fabric system. It was developed to give consumers a superior product at a lower cost. The fabric is made of ballistic nylon which is both high strength and high tenacity. This is not the same nylon a backpack is made out of but the same nylon that's used to make the airbag for an automobile. The nylon is then coated using a ceramic resin to block all of the suns U.V. rays. The fabric is then “designed to fit” and anchor over the exposed entry points of the building.

Formerly, Polypropylene was used or simply trampoline fabric. Because the trampoline fabric is so weak, the edges need to be folded over multiple times and sewn. This system was more apt to tear during a storm thus allowing internal wind damage. Trampoline fabric has a burst strength of 675 psi (pounds per square inch). AstroGuard's burst strength is more than twice as strong with a breaking strength of 1500 psi.

What most consumers don't know about the testing standards of the hurricane protection industry is that manufacturers are allowed to test a large sample specimen and if it passes, they can carry that approval down to small sizes. The reason for this, and it’s a sad one, is that the cost to make a system that was strong enough to stop large missile impacts on small and medium size openings was deemed cost prohibitive. AstroGuard's fabric is so much stronger; it can repel projectiles on any size screen. That is why AstroGuard has been referred to as "The Wonder Drug of the Insurance Industry" and why so many high net worth individuals are buying the lowest cost product in the world.

AstroGuard's nylon fabric actually costs more to manufacture than all other competitive products. When looking at the cost-vs-benefit of investing in higher strength and a more protective solution, the answer is self evident: The ‘extra dollar’ now, pays back exponentially. In effect, it costs almost nothing in comparison to the damage one incurs from even a minor contact with a hurricane.

Please view their website at www.hfmexico.com. You can see pictures on the Photo Gallery page and you will see the homes of many other people that already know the secret.


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Two new hotels coming to Playa Nov 2011

According to CNN Mexico- "The Spanish company Sol Melia to open at the end of 2011 two hotels under the "all-inclusive in Playa del Carmen: Paradisus Paradisus La Esmeralda and La Perla, which will have an investment of 83 million dollars (mdd) and share a private beach, amphitheater overlooking the sea and over 10 restaurants. Both buildings were designed by the architect Alvaro Sans, who made a project that respects the mangrove area and at the same time is adapted to the climate and vegetation, but still be modern and functional, the company said in statement Desk media.

Paradisus The Pearl is the first hotel brand to offer a service designed exclusively for adults. Will have 394 suites, 120 with Royal Service and two presidential suites. One of the attractions are the swim-up suites, which allow guests to exclusive access to the pool from their terraces.

Paradisus La Esmeralda will feature 512 suites, including 56 suites, swim-up, 122 Family Concierge suites, two presidential suites and a choice of rooms with two or three bedrooms.

The two resorts of Playa del Carmen share a common area called the Zocalo, where you can find several dining options, the YHI Spa, the activity center "Palapa", a theater, a convention center of 7.600 m2 and 14 meeting rooms ."



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2Q 2011- Riveria Recognized for Sustainable tourism

According the PRNewswire in May 2011, “ Mexico will be recognized by the Rainforest Alliance at their upcoming gala dinner and awards ceremony in New York on May 11 for its achievements of sustainable tourism in the Mayakoba region and forestry practices of the Mexican government.




"We would like to congratulate Mayakoba Tourism Development and its three hotels for the recognition they have received from the Rainforest Alliance," said Gloria Guevara Manzo, the Secretary of Tourism for Mexico. "Mayakoba is the first tourist area to be recognized by the Rainforest Alliance for achievements in sustainable tourism. Mexico is very proud to have received this honor, because sustainability practices are our priority in the tourism sector."



The Mayakoba Tourism Development with its three properties, Fairmont Mayakoba, Rosewood Mayakoba and Banyan Tree Mayakoba will be recognized by the Rainforest Alliance for their achievements in sustainable tourism. This is the first time a tourism resort is to be honored in this category. Located in the heart of Mexico's Riviera Maya, the Mayakoba Tourism Development combines luxury and comfort with the natural environment. Comprised of three separate, independently owned hotels, the development has taken on a variety of measures to ensure its sustainability, implementing water and energy saving practices, promoting visits to local communities, and administering strong and well-documented sustainability policies and procedures.



"The Mayakoba vision started with a desire to establish a new tourist development where environmentalism was to take center stage," said Andres Pan de Soraluce, President, OHL Development. "A lot of planning and infrastructure was put in place to preserve the amazing ecosystem that our development sits on, and we are glad our vision was achieved. "We have been working with the Rainforest Alliance since 2010 to comply with the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria's internationally recognized recommendations for socially, environmentally and economically sustainable tourism, and we encourage other tourism properties in Mexico to do the same."



A primary initiative for the Rainforest Alliance is the conservation of forests, an objective Mexico has been working towards through several national programs and initiatives. As a result, the Rainforest Alliance is also recognizing the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources – National Forest Commission, for their achievements in forest sustainability.



"Companies are continuing to make bold commitments to sustainability and traceability, despite ongoing instability in the economic environment," said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. "The companies and individuals honored during our annual gala deserve recognition for their demonstrated commitments to sustainability. Collectively, their efforts are enormously beneficial to workers, to communities and to the environment."



In addition to the recognition from the Rainforest Alliance, the Ministry of Tourism has launched a number of initiatives to educate hotel and tour operators about the importance of managing their businesses responsibly. In collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance, the Mexico Tourism Board is bringing lessons on sustainable tourism directly to hotels and tourism businesses in southern Mexico through the Rainforest Alliance sustainable tourism program. To date, 31 hotels in the Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo states have improved their compliance with social, environmental and economic sustainability criteria thanks to Rainforest Alliance-led training sessions. In a further display of its commitment to sustainable tourism, the Board joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council in 2010.”

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Hurricane Season is Here!

June is the beginning of hurricane season for the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, areas where tornadoes and floods have already brought historic devastation this year. According to an article on yahoo news, “Hurricane season is also predicted to be a doozy, and like clockwork, a storm is already brewing in the tropics. Forecasters are monitoring a low-pressure system off the coast of Georgia and Florida. If it intensifies, it could become the first of this year's named storms (which include tropical storms and hurricanes), which are predicted to be more active than usual.


In their forecast released today for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, atmospheric scientists at Colorado State University in Fort Collins call for 16 named storms, nine hurricanes and five major hurricanes (category 3 or stronger on the Saffir-Simpson scale). The forecasters predict an "above-average probability of United States and Caribbean major hurricane landfall," according to the forecast.

The forecast covers the Atlantic basin, which includes the East Coast, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Last month, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its forecast, predicting between six to 10 hurricanes, three to six major hurricanes (those with winds of up to 111 mph (179 kph) or higher) and 12 to 18 named storms.

The 2010 season was one of the busiest ever, with 12 hurricanes in the Atlantic — the second-highest number on record, tied with 1969 — and 19 named storms, a tie with 1887 and 1995 as the third-busiest on record. Five of last year's hurricanes reached major hurricane status (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane strength).

An average Atlantic season produces 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. The busiest season on record remains 2005, which saw 28 named storms, including Hurricane Katrina.

Several climate factors will play a role in this year's hurricane season, including a warm Atlantic Ocean, where sea surface temperatures in areas where storms often develop and move across the Atlantic are up to 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) warmer than average, according to NOAA.

An ocean-atmosphere phenomenon called La Niña, which results in a cooling of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, has been linked to an increase in hurricane activity for the continental United States and the Caribbean. A strong La Niña was in effect earlier this year, and though it continues to weaken and is expected to dissipate later this month or in June, its impacts — including reduced wind shear, which can cut off a developing storm — are expected to continue into the hurricane season, according to forecasters.

Forecasting if and where the storms will make landfall is "next to impossible," said Jane Lubchenco of NOAA in a press conference last month, and this year's forecast does not make any predictions about landfall, which is driven by weather patterns at the time the storm approaches. None of last year's storms made landfall in the United States, but Mexico and earthquake-ravaged Haiti got clobbered.

No hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since 2008, when Hurricane Hanna, a Category 1 storm, hit South Carolina. The last major hurricane to hit the United States was Hurricane Wilma, a Category 3 storm, which struck Florida at the end of the monster 2005 season."

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Buying in Playa Del Carmen: Better than home away from home

When buyers consider investing Mexico real estate, especially one of the thriving markets Playa del Carmen, one of the first questions that comes to mind is safety; not only safety in day to day life, but also financial and economic safety. The good news is that Mexico offers a high level of safety in all three areas. And it JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER… The past 8 years here in Playa Del Carmen have been (and continue to be) a boom greater than the dot.com boom of 1994-2001 of the USA.

Despite large-scale out-of-context news stories about Mexico, the country is actually quite secure when it comes to personal safety. With the right team of professionals, diligence, and something called a FIDEICOMISOS, a real estate buyer can also enjoy a high level of financial safety and frankly “Enjoy one heck of a good life too.” It truly can be said its just like home, only better. There are a lot of good reasons for this.

As in most basic human relations, the problems one would encounter here in Playa Del Carmen are more likely to be the same, if not less, problems one has back home in the US. There is only the perception of insecurity given off by media. Looking at reality, there is petty theft in the US, here, or anywhere. For instance, if I don't keep my belongings in a safe place, they might get taken. That happens in the USA, Europe, Latin America, or anywhere.  Also worth mentioning, just as life in the united states fosters education, the same principle applies here. With a little education about the area, language, and cultural open-mindedness, the Mexican Caribbean lifestyle awaits to give one the whole new world they desire, and probably a lot more richness too.

To be clear, Playa is in South Mexico, not Northern Mexico. And the marked differences are necessary to clarify. Felipe Calderon's declared war on drugs and/or narco related violence and does not directly effect citizens of playa del carmen in any way, shape, or form. IT is what may be termed, a necessary step in process of developing Mexico as a nation. The government of Mexico has been (and continues) working hard to develop and guarantee economic safety for investors, citizens, and tourists. Especially in the state of Quintana Roo. It is not just great business sense, its great people sense too- as the nation develops. Confidence in Mexico is growing as result of longer-term postive impacts being initiated with the Calderon's leadership directives.

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