Tourism Slump Forces 35% of Skål México Businesses to Borrow to Cover Payroll

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Roughly 35 percent of businesses affiliated with Skål México will have to take out loans to meet payroll and year-end obligations such as annual bonuses, according to Maru Moreno, vice president of the tourism professionals’ organization.

Moreno said weak visitor numbers and rising operating costs have left companies struggling to cover wages, while cutting rates has failed to bring travelers back.

“We are going to have to turn to credit and take on a little more debt in order to meet our obligations,” she said. “In my association, I think about 35 percent of business owners will have to do that so we can pay our staff, who aren’t to blame for what’s happening. Neither are the business owners, but we have no choice but to dig deep and keep the promises we make to our employees.”

Bank credit has become an emergency measure to protect jobs, she said, with owners prioritizing employee stability despite higher taxes and a shortage of liquidity in the region.

Price cuts fail to lift occupancy

Alongside borrowing, some businesses have lowered their rates, but the strategy has not delivered the expected results, Moreno said. Cheaper prices squeeze profit margins without raising occupancy, hitting traditional lodging particularly hard.

She argued that the underlying problem is a loss of competitiveness and experiences that fall short of visitors’ expectations — a dynamic in which low prices can breed suspicion rather than attract guests.

“Honestly, I would love to tell you that spending is flowing in, but sometimes out of desperation we tend to lower prices to attract tourists, and that isn’t necessarily the solution, because I end up with more occupancy but earn less,” she said. “We have tried everything: you raise the price and people stop coming; you lower it and people doubt it’s a good place because it’s cheap.”

Faced with shrinking margins and growing debts, business owners are calling for government support and effective promotional strategies to prevent a further deterioration in tourism activity.