Tulum Council Member Urges Emergency Declaration Over Sargassum Crisis in Quintana Roo

Tulum, Quintana Roo — A Tulum council member is urging state and municipal authorities to request an emergency declaration as massive amounts of sargassum continue to inundate beaches across Quintana Roo, severely impacting the tourism industry.

Council member Eugenio Barbachano Losa said the seaweed influx has left Tulum “drowning” after nearly six months of constant arrivals. He noted that the last four months have been particularly severe, with beaches in the destination accumulating excessive amounts of the macroalgae.

“This situation is collapsing the primary industry of destinations like Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Mahahual, Puerto Morelos, and Cancun,” Barbachano said. He highlighted that Playa del Carmen and Tulum together account for half of the state’s hotel rooms, especially luxury accommodations.

The council member warned that hotel occupancy has dropped sharply and rates have plummeted. “We’re breaking — we’re letting the sector break. Occupancy is extremely low, rates are on the floor,” he said.

Barbachano described the current crisis as unprecedented, affecting all tourism stakeholders equally. He painted a grim picture for the upcoming summer vacation season, saying there are no indicators pointing to a good summer. “The idea that we are the ‘world capital of vacations’ is a lie. The numbers are below last year’s, and Playa del Carmen and Tulum are gravely affected,” he added.

The council member argued that failing to issue an emergency declaration sends a message of inaction to the public. “We need to declare an emergency and then take the next step: participate in an international forum with all countries affected by sargassum to identify causes and address them collectively,” he said.

Quintana Roo last declared a sargassum emergency in June 2019, covering the coastlines of Lázaro Cárdenas, Isla Mujeres, Benito Juárez, Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Bacalar, and Othón P. Blanco. That declaration established a priority program for collection, transport, final disposal, and valorization of sargassum, and requested federal intervention for prevention, mitigation, recovery, and funding under the General Law of Civil Protection.