Mexican Caribbean Tourism Accelerates Digitalization, but Southeast Faces Tech Gaps

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The Mexican Caribbean is rapidly adopting digital technologies in its tourism sector, but southeastern Mexico continues to face significant technological gaps due to limited digital education and business resistance to investment.

Only four in ten companies allocate resources to technological solutions, according to Alejandro José Durán, director of Mouse Consultores. This low adoption rate limits regional competitiveness in an environment where digital transformation is no longer optional but a determining factor for sustained growth.

Durán warned that resistance to change and lack of specialized training remain structural obstacles, especially for micro and small businesses.

Quintana Roo Hotels Integrate AI and Automation

In the Mexican Caribbean, particularly in Quintana Roo, digitalization is already part of hotel operations. The integration of artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and data analysis is redefining the visitor experience and optimizing internal processes.

The strategic use of tourism data allows for better understanding of traveler behavior, anticipating demand, and strengthening decision-making. Various hotels have implemented digital systems that automate administrative tasks and eliminate paper processes.

These tools reduce operational costs, increase efficiency, and allow staff to focus on direct guest service, elevating service quality and destination competitiveness.

Digitalization Boosts Revenue and Formalizes SMEs

Technological adoption not only improves processes but also directly impacts income. Alegra.com, a company specializing in accounting solutions and electronic invoicing, reported that digitalization increased tourism SMEs’ billing by 44.1%. Additionally, electronic invoicing use grew by 165.6%.

This growth reflects greater formalization, administrative efficiency, and more structured business management based on digital tools.

Parallel data from IBM indicates that between 12% and 18% of Mexican companies already use artificial intelligence to optimize response times and personalize services.

Business Group Promotes AI Training for Merchants

In response to this landscape, the National Confederation of Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Canaco-Servytur) in Cancún announced courses aimed at micro, small, and medium-sized businesses.

Rafael Ortega Ramírez, spokesperson for the business organization, explained that these training sessions aim to facilitate the use of artificial intelligence to promote and sell products through social media, thereby strengthening local commerce competitiveness.

ICT Investment to Grow Toward 2026

Nationally, organizational spending on Information and Communication Technologies could reach 547 billion pesos by 2026, driven by cloud services, digital solutions, and artificial intelligence, according to consulting firm Select.

The challenge for southeastern Mexico will be closing the digital gap through training, strategic investment, and a business vision oriented toward innovation. This will determine the consolidation of intelligent, secure, and highly competitive tourism.