Tulum Taxi Drivers Struggle as Tourism Drops to 30%

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Taxi drivers from the Tiburones del Caribe union in Tulum are pinning their hopes on the upcoming summer vacation period to revive demand for their services after months of sluggish activity. Currently, the sector is operating at just 20 to 30 percent capacity, according to workers in the industry.

Struggles Amid Minimal Tourist Flow

Adolfo Pech, who provides taxi services at the ADO bus terminal, stated that tourist traffic has been minimal, even during Holy Week, a period that typically provides an economic boost for the sector.

“It wasn’t as generous as we had hoped. We barely manage two or three rides a day. We know there are no guarantees, but we’re still waiting for tourists to arrive and for business to pick up. That would allow us to recover somewhat,” Pech said.

Ernesto Castro, another union member, noted that their current clientele consists primarily of local residents, as national and international tourism has remained at very low levels.

“Right now, it’s basically the local residents keeping our economy afloat. We’re barely scraping by with some extra income,” Castro said.

Rising Costs Compound Challenges

Both drivers agreed that operational expenses—including vehicle maintenance, service payments, and fuel—have severely impacted their finances.

With this outlook, taxi drivers are looking to the summer vacation period, which officially begins on Wednesday, July 17, and ends on Friday, August 23, according to the academic calendar of Mexico’s Secretariat of Public Education (SEP). They hope the influx of visitors during these weeks will lead to increased earnings.