November Set to Give Playa del Carmen Tourism a Respite After Low-Season Slump

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Tourism businesses in this Caribbean resort city are pinning their hopes on November after a weak September and October that drove visitor numbers down by 48,800, industry representatives said.

Lenin Amaro Betancourt, who heads the tourism commission and coordinates the National Association of Regional Business Councils, said the sector is preparing for an uptick in arrivals next month, although the last two months have been difficult.

He acknowledged that the drop in visitors has forced many hotels to cut staff and hand workers rotating days off.

“The situation remains complicated, and we have seen job losses. Many workers are taking the opportunity to go visit their families,” Amaro said.

He expects the end of October — with Halloween, Day of the Dead and Janal Pixán, the Maya observance of the same holiday — to give hotels, restaurants and other service providers a welcome breather after the slowdown.

Hotel industry statistics for Playa del Carmen put the low-season decline at 4.81%, equivalent to 48,800 fewer visitors.

Riviera Maya Occupancy Down Sharply

Hotel occupancy and overall arrivals across the Riviera Maya have fallen by as much as 30%. Compared with 2025, occupancy slipped from 67% to 58%.

Small hotels in the city center report occupancy drops of between 30% and 35%, while the real estate sector has contracted by 15%.

Amaro linked the tourism slump to the impact of sargassum, the seaweed that blankets Caribbean beaches, during the summer.