Tulum, Quintana Roo — Tourism in Tulum could take up to a year to recover visitor numbers, even after President Claudia Sheinbaum announced measures to reduce entrance fees to the archaeological zone and guarantee free access to beaches, according to a union leader.
José Enrique Vidal Dzul Tuyub, secretary general of the National Union of Culture Ministry Workers, said the changes are a step forward but their impact will be gradual because the tourism industry operates on advance planning.
“Travel agencies have already sold packages for the coming months, so the cost reduction will hardly change visitor numbers in the short term,” Vidal Dzul said. “To bring tourism back, we have to wait about a year.”
New Fee Structure Announced
During a visit to Quintana Roo, Sheinbaum announced that access for domestic visitors to the Jaguar Park and the Tulum archaeological site will cost 80 pesos (about $4.30), while foreign tourists will pay 265 pesos (about $14.30). Free admission for Mexicans on Sundays will continue, and beach access will remain free.
The president also said the main entrance to the archaeological site will be modified by removing a wall that limited visibility and building a Mayan-style arch. At the southern entrance, an ecological parking lot will be built to ease visitor access.
Industry Calls for Further Improvements
Vidal Dzul noted that the problems began in 2024 when the Jaguar Park opened, introducing additional fees and a new entry system that raised costs and caused long lines at the visitor center. The union had warned that the new model would hurt tourism, a situation now reflected in statistics from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
He added that beyond reducing fees, the entry system must be simplified. The union plans to propose that INAH consolidate ticket sales at a single box office to avoid delays.
“We recognize the president’s decision to open beach access and lower archaeological site fees is positive, but recovery also depends on better promotion of the destination and correcting decisions that caused the drop in visitors over the past two years,” Vidal Dzul said.
