Foreign Tourists Return to Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue, but Sales Still Lag

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Foreign tourists are once again visible along Quinta Avenida, the city’s main commercial strip, after two months of sluggish visitor traffic — but the uptick has yet to show up in the tills of shops, restaurants and handicraft stalls, local tourism providers say.

Business owners surveyed along the avenue said they expect economic activity to pick up in the second half of November as more travelers arrive. Even so, they argue that the destination needs stronger promotion in international markets to draw tourists who will walk the streets and spend money in the city center rather than staying inside their resorts.

Promotion Push Urged

Jaqueline Mendoza, a local tourism operator, said municipal authorities should launch tourism promotion campaigns aimed at foreign markets to increase arrivals and boost business for companies operating in the tourist zone.

Mendoza said that while more foreigners can now be seen on Quinta Avenida, a meaningful recovery in spending has not followed, and she is hopeful the picture will improve in the coming weeks.

Hotel Occupancy Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

Hotels in the Riviera Maya reported average occupancy of 65.8 percent between October 14 and October 30, 2026, according to data from the Quintana Roo Tourism Department. Service providers on Quinta Avenida, however, caution that occupancy figures do not necessarily translate into more money circulating through local businesses.

Francisco Martínez, who sells handicrafts, explained that many guests book all-inclusive packages that bundle services, meals and activities inside the resort complex. As a result, he said, a large share of visitors stay on the hotel grounds and never make it out to the shops of the destination, limiting spending at restaurants, stores and craft stalls.

Merchants are counting on November to bring a higher volume of visitors strolling the tourist zone, and on that foot traffic to convert into sales. In their view, an increase in arrivals must come with spending that also benefits local businesses.