Tulum Hotel Crisis: Why Tourists Are Staying Away

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The hotel sector is sounding the alarm: Tulum can no longer rely on its past reputation to “sell itself.” Business is suffering through the normally reliable holiday and low seasons alike. Antonio Requena Bacab, general manager of the long‑standing Chilam Balam hotel, reports a sharp decline:

“Hotel occupancy is going downhill day by day; it is very depressed. It hasn’t picked up since January. There was no Holy Week or summer vacation period like before; people just aren’t coming anymore.”

That assessment is mirrored in the latest figures. A summer report places Tulum’s hotel occupancy at just 62.6%, significantly lagging behind Cancún and Isla Mujeres. Another local source describes the summer of 2025 tourism slump as “the worst since the pandemic,” with only 60% of vendors open, and hotels notably under‑utilized. In Tulum’s archaeological zone, merchants confirm this is even worse than during the pandemic; only 60% of the 71 merchant stalls remain open, and occupancy in downtown hotels plunges to 15%, compared to 40% in hotels outside town.

One underlying cause, as Requena notes, is the restricted access to previously public beaches due to the establishment of Jaguar National Park.

“We were left with only Punta Piedra, and that place is not in good condition. Who would want to go there?”

Extortion by traffic police is another destabilizing factor. Tourists have reported and even filed complaints. In one documented case, two traffic department officers were removed from their posts for allegedly demanding a 2,500‑peso bribe from a tourist to avoid vehicle impoundment. In response, authorities under new police leadership have launched reforms targeting traffic‑related extortion, including interagency oversight, more surveillance, and internal investigations.

All of these issues are being compounded by broader security concerns and changing perceptions. Recent reporting points to a pronounced militarization of tourist zones, with over 7,000 security personnel deployed across Quintana Roo under “Operation Summer Vacation  2025”, intended to protect nearly 2 million tourists. However, some experts warn this may have the reverse effect—military presence might deter visitors rather than reassure them. At the same time, violent incidents, including cartel activity in Quintana Roo, have raised alarms. Since 2021, there have been multiple cases of tourists harmed or caught in violence, including American visitors, contributing to a Level 2 travel advisory from the U.S. State Department.

These combined pressures—diminishing occupancy, restricted beach access, police corruption, heightened security presence, and safety concerns—create a perfect storm impacting tourism and the local economy. As Requena concludes:

“All of that affects us, and we are feeling it strongly.”

Hoteliers are urgently calling on authorities to act swiftly and decisively to restore Tulum’s reputation and regain tourists’ confidence on the international stage.