Tourism Crisis in Quintana Roo: Xcaret’s Parks Shut Down – What’s Next?

The tourism industry in Quintana Roo is experiencing a significant downturn, as evidenced by the Xcaret Group's closure of two of its parks. The Xenses Insomnia and Xavage parks have been temporarily shut down, highlighting the severity of the tourism crisis in the state. This crisis is posing numerous challenges for the region's tourism industry, leading to a decrease in visitor numbers and negatively impacting both large corporations and small local businesses.

The Xcaret Group recently announced the temporary suspension of operations at Xavage and the Xenses Insomnia experience from November 12. This has caused concern among tourists and local tour operators. According to an official statement, the closure of Xavage, an adventure park offering extreme activities, is part of a strategy to redesign the experience in line with changing visitor preferences. Xenses Insomnia will also suspend its activities until the summer season, with plans to resume seasonal operations. Despite these closures, the Xcaret Group confirmed that their other properties, including Xcaret park and Xel-Há, will continue to operate as usual. They stated that these temporary closures are necessary adjustments in response to the global tourism crisis.

The Xcaret Group highlighted that the crisis has hit Quintana Roo hard, as evidenced by decreased air connectivity and reduced spending by international tourists.

This crisis extends beyond the Xcaret Group. Jesús Almaguer Salazar, president of the Association of Hotels in Cancún, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres, underscored that smaller businesses in the tourism sector are also suffering from a significant drop in tourist numbers. Almaguer noted that the early months of 2024 were particularly difficult due to a decrease in passengers resulting from plane engine inspections and changes in promotional strategies. This resulted in the Cancún International Airport operating with fewer than 500 daily flights and hotels experiencing an average occupancy rate of just 50 percent.

Despite these challenges, Almaguer expects the peak season to bring some relief to the sector, predicting hotel occupancy rates could reach up to 85%, largely due to the growing Canadian market, which now accounts for 10% of tourists in Quintana Roo.

Cancún's nautical sector has also been severely affected by the crisis. Ricardo Muleiro, director of the Nautical Association of Quintana Roo, reported a dramatic decrease in nautical activity since August, operating at just 27% capacity. This decline is partly attributed to frequent restrictions caused by weather events, such as the recent tropical storm Sara, which led to port closures and disrupted nautical tourist services.

The situation could potentially worsen in 2025 with expected increases in tourism charges. The Economic Package 2025 includes proposed tax reforms that could impact both tourists and tourism service providers. Notably, these changes include a 20% increase in entrance fees for foreign tourists and a significant increase in access fees to protected natural areas like the Cozumel Reefs National Park and the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park.