In the early 1990s, the Cuban government began to develop the tourism sector in Cayo Coco, and several resorts were constructed. To reach Cayo Coco, tourists had to fly to Máximo Gómez Airport on the mainland and then take a one-hour bus ride to the island. In order to make travel to Cayo Coco more convenient, the Cuban government announced in 1999 that it would build a new airport on the island itself. Environmentalists disapproved of the site selected for the airport, but the government responded that the site was located in a zone already designated for infrastructure development. Meanwhile, the existing Cayo Coco Airport on the island, situated in a more environmentally sensitive area, would be demolished and reforested.