Cancún–Isla Mujeres Boat Cooperatives Sink Under Heavy Losses as Only 20 of 130 Vessels Stay Active

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The tourist cooperatives that run boat tours from Cancún to Isla Mujeres are operating at just 15 to 20 percent of capacity, with only about 20 of their 130 vessels still putting out to sea each day, the head of a local cooperative association said.

Jesús Escobedo Padilla, legal representative of the Association of Cooperatives of Puerto Juárez and Operadora del Caribe, said the collapse in bookings has inflicted severe losses on the workers who depend on selling trips directly to visitors.

Some cooperatives have cut their rates from 800 pesos to 400 pesos per person in an effort to stimulate demand and lure back travelers.

Escobedo said excursions on smaller boats appeal to both domestic and international tourists. The package includes the crossing to Isla Mujeres, a snorkeling session and two hours of free time to explore Playa Norte and the town center, followed by a stop at a beach restaurant serving tikin xic, the region’s signature grilled fish dish.

Empty Docks, and a Slump Worse Than 2020

The docks from which the tours depart were deserted, with no Mexican or foreign visitors in sight.

Comparing the current slump with the low seasons of previous years, Escobedo said both 2025 and 2026 have seen an unusual decline. Even in 2020, at the worst point of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was still some tourist traffic, he said, calling the present situation “truly worrying.”

Unfair Competition and a Heavy Tax Burden

Beyond the drop in visitors, Escobedo complained of unfair competition from a monopoly of large ferry operators in the Hotel Zone. He said those companies block passengers from being routed to Puerto Juárez, where the crossing alone costs 600 pesos and includes no sightseeing.

He also pointed to the heavy tax burden the cooperatives carry, which forces them to keep sales constant and high in volume to cover both taxes and commissions for sales staff.

The small-scale operators have asked authorities to create a support trust fund for low seasons and to include the cooperatives in social programs that would help pay for engine and boat maintenance.

City Council Approves Tax Relief Program

Jesús Pool Mo, a city councilor who chairs the Labor and Social Welfare Commission in the Benito Juárez municipal government, said the council unanimously approved a tax incentive program called “Pon al Día tu Negocio” (Get Your Business Up to Date).

He said the scheme is designed to help micro, small and medium-sized businesses and local entrepreneurs regularize their paperwork through subsidies and waivers on procedures at municipal agencies.

Benefits include a 100 percent discount on fines and surcharges tied to operating licenses and outstanding debts, along with 30 percent reductions on fines stemming from inspection processes and on late operating licenses. Businesses that sell alcohol are excluded.

Operators are hoping for a rebound during the Christmas season, which begins in a couple of weeks.