Tulum’s Tourist Recovery Effort!
Mexico City, Dec 3 (EFE).-
With winter vacation season approaching, authorities and tourism operators are working to recover occupancy levels in Tulum, one of Mexico’s main Caribbean destinations, which saw a drop in visitors in 2025 due to rising costs.
Massive sargassum arrivals, entrance fees of more than 400 pesos (about 22 dollars) to access beaches in the Jaguar Park, deficiencies in tourism infrastructure, and high charges in hotels and restaurants triggered a reputational crisis at the end of the summer season, prompting the federal government to call for urgent meetings with the sector.
Hotels along Tulum’s coastal strip, which typically enjoy high summer occupancy, reported decreases of up to 25%, raising alarms among public and private stakeholders.
Social media was flooded with images of empty, desolate tourist sites, including the Tulum archaeological zone, one of the most visited in the country.
In response, Mexico’s Tourism Promotion Council launched a 3.2 million dollars campaign to restore the destination’s image as part of the “Relaunch Tulum” initiative.
The tourism zone faces long-standing challenges linked to land tenure, as much of the hotel area was built on land belonging to the Pino Suárez Ejido.
This has resulted in a lack of essential services such as sewage systems and steady electricity supply.
Hotels, restaurants and businesses rely heavily on power generators, significantly raising operating costs that ultimately fall on visitors.
“There are infrastructure challenges that must be addressed, consequences of decisions made many years ago with no planning, it must be said,” acknowledged Quintana Roo Tourism Secretary Bernardo Cueto.
Cueto said that after multiple meetings involving federal, state and municipal authorities, as well as tourism and community organizations, authorities have set out plans to strengthen Tulum’s infrastructure to improve service quality and ensure it remains “one of Mexico’s and the world’s most visited destinations.”
In an interview with EFE, Tulum’s municipal president, Diego Castañón Trejo, confirmed ongoing talks with federal authorities regarding beach access and matters related to Jaguar Park.
On Monday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that “significant progress” has been made in opening public beaches in Tulum, with the goal of providing free access to protected natural areas once a week and on holidays to help boost tourism. EFE
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