Tulum Hotel Occupancy Drops More Than 20%, Hotels Consider Seasonal Closures

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Hotel occupancy in Tulum fell by more than 20% between May and July compared with the same period in 2025, a steeper decline than the industry anticipated and one that has left some properties considering seasonal closures.

The Tulum Hotel Association reported that demand in the coastal zone dropped to as low as 15% at certain points, a level it says is not enough to cover payroll or the high cost of removing sargassum seaweed from beaches. Some hotels have already closed their doors, while others are evaluating whether to scale back to seasonal operations during the slow months to avoid going out of business.

Factors Behind the Downturn

According to David Ortiz Mena, president of the association, the decline stems from a mix of external and local issues. These include changes in travel patterns tied to the soccer World Cup, fewer airline seats available to the Mexican Caribbean, and on-the-ground problems such as limited local transportation and reports of police extortion.

Ortiz Mena also criticized the absence of a national tourism promotion campaign since 2019, saying the gap has left Tulum vulnerable to negative coverage abroad. “Mexico stopped making promotional efforts in 2019, and that carries a cost because negative news surfaces and tourists can confuse incidents from other parts of the country with the Mexican Caribbean or Tulum,” he said.

Seeking Federal Help, Hopeful for Winter

To protect local jobs, the association has asked the federal government to set up support programs with commercial and development banks that would allow hotels to restructure their loans. The industry expects demand to remain weak through August and September, with a recovery projected to begin in the first half of October.

Looking further ahead, the association said winter-season bookings for 2026 are on track to exceed 2025 levels, provided the destination works to improve the overall visitor experience.