Tulum, Quintana Roo — Hotel industry leaders in Tulum have expressed willingness to collaborate with federal and state authorities to revive the struggling tourism destination, warning that small businesses are bearing the brunt of the downturn.
During a private meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum, David Ortiz Mena, president of the Tulum Hotel Association, acknowledged government efforts but painted a grim picture of current conditions.
According to association reports, large hotels and chains with structured marketing channels are operating at 40-45% occupancy. In contrast, many small hotels along the coast, operating on a European plan basis, report occupancy rates of just 15-20%.
Ortiz Mena explained that this disparity reflects a decline in visitors who rely on moving around the destination — accessing beaches, visiting attractions, and spending locally — which in turn hurts restaurants, shops, tour operators, workers, and communities.
The hotel leader also noted that the volume of sargassum seaweed this year has been “monumental,” and its coincidence with the low season makes it unsustainable for the private sector to cover all beach cleaning and maintenance costs.
Despite the critical assessment, Ortiz Mena struck a constructive tone: “We are not here to assign blame; we are here to contribute so that the announced actions produce results.”
He added that Tulum’s hotel sector is ready to continue investing, training staff, and participating in joint actions with authorities.
Plan Tulum Renace Seen as Just a Start
Regarding the Plan Tulum Renace, unveiled Wednesday by Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, former hotel association presidents from the region offered immediate reactions.
Roberto Cintrón Gómez and Abelardo Vara Rivera, former presidents of the Cancun, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres Hotel Association, agreed that the 10-point package is a starting point but that priority issues must be addressed.
Cintrón Gómez listed promotion, advertising, and visitor security as top priorities. Vara Rivera added that “important topics need to be included,” citing tourism promotion, security, customs, local authorities, infrastructure, and sargassum.
The former presidents’ reactions reflect concern that Plan Tulum Renace focuses mainly on access measures and reduced fees, without broader actions on promotion, addressing perceptions of insecurity, and tackling structural problems like sargassum.
