Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The summer vacation season has started with hotel occupancy at just 50 percent in the Riviera Maya, a level that remains below pre-pandemic figures and has raised concerns among tourism industry leaders about the destination’s competitiveness.
José Ramón Cárdenas González, president of the Riviera Maya Business Coordinating Council (CCERM), said that according to data from the Hotel Association, occupancy rates of nearly 80 percent were common in June before the pandemic. He called for stronger coordination between businesses and authorities to recover visitor numbers and attract new investment.
Cárdenas pointed to the growth of vacation rentals as a possible cause for the low occupancy, noting that some tourists arriving at Cancún International Airport are choosing alternative accommodations instead of hotels.
