Los Amigos de Tulum, a Quintana Roo-based real estate agency, has announced its plan to offer commercial drone flights to tourists. This will be the first time any company has offered such flights to tourists in Mexico.
The company’s founder and president, Nico Wilmes, spearheaded the project when he paid roughly $500,000 to a Chinese manufacturer for a prototype drone prior to the beginning of the pandemic. With the pandemic mostly in the rearview, the project has continued.
Wilmes expressed excitement about the project, and he went on to say that some of his team members are in Mexico City finalizing details with the Federal Civil Aviation Agency, after which test flights can finally begin.
The drones will be capable of transporting two passengers and traveling a total of just under 22 miles, which is perfect for sightseeing. The drones also run on sustainable energy and emit very little CO2.
Tulum has had some negative press lately, mostly due to a moderate spike in crime, but that hasn’t deterred tourism much. Over the summer, Tulum boasted about 822,000 tourists, and the U.S. Department of State considers it relatively safe.
If all goes well, commercial drone flights should be available to tourists as early as the beginning of 2023.