Tulum Workers Apologize for Tourist Woes

Tulum, Mexico — The deserted beaches and silent streets of Tulum present an unprecedented scene for this municipality in Quintana Roo, which for years enjoyed worldwide fame as a tourist paradise. The summer of 2025 barely achieved a hotel occupancy rate of around 30 percent in the coastal zone and 15 percent in the town center, indicating a collapse in visitor numbers, while flights to the Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport were reduced by 30 to 40 percent.

Faced with this situation, local merchants and service providers have issued a public apology to Mexican tourists, asking for a second chance and admitting to the mistakes that have affected the experience of those who come to the region.

The problems in Tulum have become notorious: high prices, with soft drinks and water reaching 100 pesos; difficulties accessing the beaches—many of which are under military control—and transportation fares that can exceed 800 pesos for short trips, have left both national and international visitors with the impression of an inaccessible destination.

Furthermore, gentrification and the development of luxury zones contrast with the precarious conditions faced by a large part of the local population, who live on the periphery.

Violence and insecurity add to the tension; just last March, the murder of the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, José Roberto Rodríguez, shocked the municipality and worsened the negative perception.

Simultaneously, the Tiburones del Caribe taxi union is under investigation by the state Prosecutor's Office for "irregular situations," and the detention of one of its members has revived citizen alerts about the guild, which had already been flagged the previous year when its leader, Eleazar Sagredo, was arrested in connection with a homicide.

Social media has revealed the gravity of the crisis. Images of empty beaches and abandoned establishments, similar to the aftermath of a natural disaster, circulate with testimonies from tourists surprised to find restricted access to the sea and prohibitive prices.

Even to reach the public beach area, visitors must pay for access through the archaeological zone, which is around 220 pesos for Mexicans and double for foreigners, in addition to extra charges for transportation within the park.

In this context, the recent legislative approval to guarantee free access to beaches and Protected Natural Areas was well received by hoteliers, although they warn that the responsibility for facilitating better access should not fall solely on the private sector.

The challenge now is to improve both the infrastructure and the management of protected areas, so that tourists rediscover Tulum as an accessible and hospitable destination for all.