Playa del Carmen’s Tourist Fleet at 15% Capacity

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — The recent Day of the Dead holiday weekend failed to meet the expectations of Playa del Carmen's tourist cooperatives, as this period did not provide a boost to their income, with operations continuing at just 15 percent of capacity.

Santos Cat Chan, president of the Playa del Carmen Tourist and Fishermen's Cooperative, stated that the last two months have been among the most difficult of the year due to low demand. He indicated that during these months, the downturn has been caused by "nortes," or northern winds, which not only force the temporary closure of ports but also damage the beaches, thereby keeping tourists away.

The union representative expressed confidence that demand for the tourist services they provide—including sport fishing, open-water tours, and snorkeling—would rebound in approximately 15 days.

He reported that they already have several reservations for the end of the month that could raise their operational capacity to 65 percent.

"It has been mostly American and domestic tourists, and sport fishing and snorkeling are the services being booked the most," he detailed.

Finally, Santos Cat Chan added that this average could rise to 90 percent as the month of December progresses.