National Tourism Fails to Rescue Tulum; Tour Operators Working at Just 10%

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The summer vacation season, which local tourism providers hoped would revive Tulum’s economy with domestic visitors, has instead brought fresh disappointment. Tour operators say visitor numbers remain far below expectations.

Toledo Martínez of Easy Tours said operators are currently running at just 10% capacity, reflecting the sector’s dire situation after months of low activity.

He blamed a lack of destination promotion, massive seaweed (sargassum) arrivals, and access restrictions to beaches following the creation of the Jaguar Park for severely hurting those who depend on tour sales.

“Many tourists want to book a tour, but they won’t let us into the Jaguar Park. Besides paying for the tour, they have to cover the park entrance fee, transportation inside, and then a taxi to leave. In the end, they prefer not to come,” he lamented.

Unlike previous years, domestic tourism failed to offset the absence of foreign visitors, leaving hundreds of workers in the sector without sufficient income.

Tour operators had hoped the summer break would mark the start of an economic recovery, but occupancy remains largely stagnant.

Given the situation, the sector insists on the urgent need to boost Tulum’s promotion and review access conditions to key tourist areas, arguing that additional costs and restrictions ultimately discourage visitors and directly harm local businesses.