Tulum Archaeological Zone Loses 70% of Visitors as Tourism Crisis Deepens

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The tourism crisis gripping Tulum now reaches beyond canceled flights, empty hotels and shuttered businesses to one of the destination’s signature attractions: its Maya ruins.

The archaeological zone received just 22,100 visitors in September 2026, down from 74,385 in the same month of 2024 — a drop of roughly 70%, according to figures from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). That amounts to more than 52,000 fewer visitors in two years.

The site is one of the Caribbean coast’s best-known historical attractions and a source of income for guides, drivers and other service providers, so the decline ripples through the local economy.

Problems extend across the destination. Travelers cite sargassum on the beaches, high prices, complaints over access fees, corruption in the local government and urban disorder.

Airport traffic falls by a third

The slump is visible at Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport, where passenger traffic has fallen about 33% compared with 2025. Between January and August 2026, airport activity dropped 33.6% from the same period a year earlier, according to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC).

The airport opened in December 2023 with the expectation that it would bring in visitors and ease pressure on Cancún. Reduced air connectivity is now one of the destination’s main challenges.

Aeroméxico suspended its Tulum operations on Sept. 30, 2026, and Volaris announced a temporary suspension starting Jan. 7, 2027. Both moves are part of airline adjustments to market conditions and weak demand.

Fewer arriving passengers hits hotels, restaurants, transport operators and tour providers directly. In the hotel zone, some properties have stopped taking guests while others struggle to keep operating.

Sargassum and fees add pressure

During 2026, beaches across Quintana Roo recorded large volumes of sargassum, which fouls the water, hampers recreation and gives off unpleasant odors as it decomposes. Authorities have deployed cleanup crews and barriers at some points, though coverage has not been uniform.

Visitors have also complained about steep rates at tourism businesses, for transport and for entry to attractions. Available data does not allow a specific share of the decline to be attributed to those complaints.

Parque del Jaguar has been singled out as a driver of the problems. The area surrounding part of the archaeological zone drew criticism over the accumulated cost of visiting the ruins and reaching stretches of coastline.

During 2026, fees of up to 515 pesos for access were withdrawn, and free entry to beaches was offered to visitors arriving on foot or by bicycle. In July, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a visit to address complaints about access and the presence of sargassum.

Federal and state authorities have pushed the “Tulum Renace” strategy, aimed at improving conditions in the destination, widening access to beaches and restoring its appeal to tourists.