Mahahual’s Tourism Crisis: High Prices Drive Away Cruise Visitors

Mahahual, Quintana Roo – Despite cruise ships continuing to arrive regularly at the port of Mahahual, tourist presence at the destination remains well below expectations. Service providers indicated that although ships arrive with thousands of passengers, few decide to disembark and explore the community.

One of the factors that most discourages cruise passengers is the cost of transportation and basic services. According to local operators, fares for traveling to different points of interest, as well as prices for food and drinks, end up driving away visitors who seek more accessible options during their short stay. Many of them prefer to remain on the ship or look for nearby alternatives with lower expenses.

Even those who choose to disembark from the cruise ship often leave Mahahual quickly. Service providers comment that, far from staying in the tourist area, visitors move to other points in the southern part of the state or return to the vessel when they don’t find competitive prices or sufficient attractions to prolong their visit. This trend has persisted despite the increase in taxes that cruise passengers must cover.

The situation has generated direct impacts on boat operators, craft merchants, and tour operators, who acknowledge facing a double crisis: tourism and economic. Providers of boat tours assure that the lack of visitors has reduced their income to a minimum, while souvenir sellers report entire days without making a single sale. The drop in demand keeps the community worried, as their economy depends mostly on tourism.

Tourism sector representatives insist on the need to review the rates and tax charges applied to visitors, as well as to improve competitive conditions for local merchants. They warn that if the problem is not addressed immediately, Mahahual could face greater deterioration in its economic activity, severely affecting families who depend on this destination as their main source of income.