Tulum, Q.R. — Businesses in the town of Tulum continue to feel the collapse in international tourism. While the government of Mexico reports increased tourism numbers across the country, figures in Tulum remain low.
According to locals, businesses across all sectors are in turmoil and closures have begun in the town’s center. Some people believe the collapse in visitors is due to bad practices.
“The police, the waiters, the overcharging, the excessive sargassum, the taxi drivers, the shady dealings, the bad public servants, and a complacent population—the goose that laid the golden eggs is gone,” said Tulum resident Rodolfo Loeza “G”.
In April, the secretary of tourism said Mexico registered historic international tourist numbers in the first two months of 2026 with a 6.5 percent increase.
Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, the Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico said in February, Mexico received 8 million international visitors, an 8.5 percent increase over January 2025.
While the country continues to be a tourism powerhouse, destinations in the Mexican Caribbean are not seeing those numbers. In particular, Tulum continues to report low hotel occupancy rates and a decline in visitors during peak seasons.
Data from the Quintana Roo Tourism Secretariat and reports from the hotel sector reveal that Tulum registered declines of up to 17.5 percentage points in hotel occupancy rates last year to levels between 49 and 66 percent.
These figures have been described by Tulum business owners as one of the worst years for the town. So far this year, things have not improved.
“The police and traffic officers themselves have scared away tourism and (mayor) Castañon has no authority; he’s a fraud and afraid of the Director of Public Security,” said José Luis “B”.
Other destinations around the state have also recorded a decline in international visitors toward the end of 2025 and into 2026. While national tourism has helped increase Quintana Roo occupancy rates during holiday periods, international tourism remains at a low.
There have been reports by the local tourism industry that Tulum is simply going through a “tourism adjustment” after years of rapid growth with the addition of the Tulum International Airport and the Jaguar Park.
However, a lot of long-time Tulum locals say the problem is not as deep as that.
Tulum resident Diego Lievano “H” said “the tourists left because of the town of Tulum itself continued to rip them off with exorbitant prices in every sector: transportation, lodging, food, and drinks. Now they’re complaining after milking the goose that laid the golden eggs.”
Pablo “Z” says the decline in Tulum tourism is due to “the economic downturn in the U.S., inflation in Europe, and the partial blockade of Asia also have a significant impact. This has affected Tulum, in addition to the poor management and administration of the municipality.”
Eduart Montejos says “the real culprit is the government; they charge you for everything and haven’t regulated prices. Playa del Carmen is the same way: from the moment tourists arrive, the first thing they have to pay is the parking meter, and with all the tax increases, everything is incredibly expensive.
“They’ve already ruined the tourism industry; they thought tourists would put up with the abuses forever.”
However, the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council says the destinations that will survive are the ones that preserve their value.
David Ortiz Mena, President of the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council, says “the most successful destinations of the future will not necessarily be those that grow the most, but those that best manage to preserve their value, their identity and their environment.”
He made the comment during a panel discussion “What do destinations that build long-term competitiveness do differently?” held in Mexico City Friday. During the discussion, he reflected on the challenges currently facing state’s tourist destinations.
He also discussed the need to evolve from models focused solely on growth and volume toward schemes that prioritize sustainability, identity, infrastructure, territorial quality and conservation of the value of destinations.
Ortiz Mena, who also represents the Tulum hotel sector, said Tulum positioned itself based on nature, wellness, authenticity and a close connection with the environment.
“Tulum understood before many destinations that the modern traveler is not just looking for lodging, he is looking for connection, meaning and experiences with identity.”
He said several years ago, Tulum built its identity on something other than sun and sand.
“Tourist destinations don’t just compete on infrastructure. They also compete on identity,” he said adding “the real risk to a destination is not just growing too big. It’s losing what made it special.”
“Tulum is gone. I’ve been here for 23 years, I saw Tulum grow and then fall so badly. It’s so sad that we let Tulum die. Everything is ruined now, we’ve all destroyed it. Now we have to eat beans and make do with little. We have to be happy, everything has changed,” said Tulum resident Pedro “S”.
According to Ortiz Mena,“no marketing campaign can replace a well-managed territory.”
