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The head of the restaurant association in Mahahual, the idyllic Mexican paradise town south of Cancun, has spoken of the frustration building in the destination towards pushy restaurant “promoters”.
Almost all travelers will enter the iconic restaurant-filled beachfront of Mahahual from the side of the area’s famous lighthouse. Here, it is claimed, travelers are quickly swarmed by these promoters who will persistently follow them and push for them to choose the particular restaurant they represent.
Why This Matters To Travelers
Choice is important for travelers, after the stressful activity of planning a vacation, choosing a destination, resort, which trips to take, etc. The last thing a visitor to this beautiful location wants is to be corralled like cattle into a restaurant not of their choosing.
There are so many fantastic spots along the beachfront of Mahahual to eat with a view, and while the restaurants these promoters work for may be perfectly fine, it can be a negative experience for travelers who want to arrive here and relax without being hounded by sales pitches.
In the super-destinations of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, this type of activity can be forgiven. Competition is fierce in those cities, and the pace of life runs much faster.
But in this small destination with its peaceful atmosphere, it just doesn’t fit the vibe.
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Why The Restaurants Are Pushing Back
While competition isn’t as fierce in Mahahual, the members of the restaurant association here take great pride in their small destination.
They understand that travelers come here to enjoy a slower and more laid-back pace to their vacation and don’t want pushy business practices from neighboring restaurants to ruin that reputation and dismantle their unique selling point to travelers.
It should be noted, Mahahual is best known as a cruise ship stop, which of course, brings a huge number of visitors to this destination each time one makes port.
What They Want Done
The restaurant association isn’t just kicking up a fuss and hoping someone else fixes the issue; they have put forward a hopeful fix to the local authorities, one that will be just as positive for travelers as it is for them.
This fix includes having an information module installed before the main entrance to the famous beachfront, allowing travelers to get a solid feel for what is available to them in the area without the bias of a promoter promising nothing awaits them further along the beachfront.
On this information module, travelers will find not just restaurants but also all entertainment offerings in the area so they can make an informed decision of their own choosing.
Currently, the information on when or if this module will be installed is foggy; a statement from the restaurant association of Mahahual speaks about it in definite terms, although no supporting information has been released yet to confirm this.
How To Get Past The Promoters
Pushy restaurant and bar promoters are nothing new in tourist destinations, but that doesn’t take away the annoyance of having to navigate past their laminated menus and persistent sales pitches.
The best way to show you’re not interested, and this is solid advice for the whole of Mexico, is to give a polite but firm “no, gracias” and continue walking and having a conversation with those around you.
Don’t engage in a conversation, and don’t take a look at the menu they carry. This invites the dreaded sales pitch and only encourages these promoters to follow you along the beachfront and push the pitch even more.
Also, don’t worry that this is offensive; across Mexico a simple “no, gracias” is a perfectly polite and acceptable response to these situations and won’t be taken in a negative way.
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