Labor Shortage Hits Playa del Carmen Restaurants Despite Tourism Rebound

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Food and beverage businesses in Playa del Carmen are grappling with a workforce shortage affecting about 25% of their staff, creating one of the most serious obstacles for the sector during the current tourism recovery.

Maru Moreno, vice president of Skål México, raised the alarm about the labor crisis. Skål México is an organization that brings together executives and leaders from the tourism industry in destinations including Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras, encompassing hotels and restaurants.

Speaking during the signing of an agreement between business and tourism organizations, Moreno noted that occupancy during Holy Week was strong, but the lack of human capital overshadowed the positive results, particularly in the restaurant sector.

“Restaurants are full, but they’re crying because there’s no staff who want to work. It’s not about wages, it’s about skills and willingness,” she said.

The leader attributed part of the problem to high employee turnover. With widespread shortages, workers are jumping from one job to another in search of better pay.

“Since we’re short on people, there’s always someone who pays more, and that creates a lot of movement,” she warned.

The situation is worse for leadership positions, where filling a management role not only requires offering a competitive salary but also finding candidates with experience and competencies that are hard to locate in the local market.

In response, several companies have started recruiting workers from other states, primarily Chiapas and San Luis Potosí.

However, the economic dynamism currently experienced in southern Mexico has reduced those workers’ willingness to relocate, as they prefer to find employment in their own communities.

Despite the challenging scenario, Moreno emphasized that tourism in the region shows clear signs of strength, with notable visitor numbers in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Puerto Aventuras.

Still, she warned that addressing the labor gap will be essential to sustaining that momentum in the medium term.

To that end, the organizations formalized the “Mujeres Exitosas” (Successful Women) alliance, aimed at promoting female leadership and sustainable development within the industry.

The agreement was signed by Skål México, Skål Isla Mujeres-Puerto Morelos, the Association of Vacation and Tourist Complexes (Acotur), the Association of Public Relations of the Mexican Caribbean, the Mexican Association of Women Entrepreneurs (Amexme) Cancún, and the Women’s Association of Tourism Business Executives of the Mexican Republic (Afeet), Quintana Roo chapter.