A few weeks before the winter holiday season begins, the Government and service providers are preparing to recover occupancy levels in Tulum, which in 2025 saw a drop in visitors due to the increase in the cost of its services.
Massive sargassum spills, charges exceeding 400 pesos (almost 22 dollars) to enter the beaches of El Jaguar Park, deficiencies in tourist infrastructure and excessive charges in hotels and consumer centers, caused at the end of the summer season the image crisis that forced the federal government to call urgent work meetings.
Hotels on the coastal strip of Tulum, where summer traditionally represented good occupancy, reported drops of up to 25%, which raised alerts in both the public and private sectors.
Social networks were filled with images of empty and desolate sites, such as the archaeological zone of Tulum, one of the most visited in the country.
Given this panorama, the Tourism Promotion Council launched a campaign to improve the reputation of the destination in which 3.2 million dollars were invested for the “relaunch of Tulum.”
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They argue tourism problems
The hotel zone of Tulum faces long-standing problems related to land ownership, since it was built within the Ejido Pino Suárez, a situation that is reflected in the lack of basic services such as sanitary drainage and electricity supply.
Hotels, restaurants and businesses in general must work with power plants, which considerably increases operating costs and which are ultimately reflected in the cost to the visitor.
“There are challenges in infrastructure that have to be covered, they are brought about by decisions that were made many years ago in terms of development, without planning, it must be said,” acknowledged Bernardo Cueto, secretary of tourism of Quintana Roo.
Cueto maintained that, after numerous meetings between the three levels of government, tourist and social associations to analyze the situation and seek solutions, there are defined plans for Tulum focused on strengthening the infrastructure so that it also represents a better quality of service to tourists, and continues to be “one of the most visited destinations in Mexico and the world.”
In an interview with EFE, the municipal president of Tulum, Diego Castañón Trejo, confirmed that working groups are being held with federal authorities on access to beaches and issues related to the Jaguar Park.
On Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that “a lot of progress has been made” in the opening of public beaches in Tulum, which seeks to provide free access to protected natural areas, one day a week and on holidays, and thus boost tourism.
More context: Sheinbaum says that his Government is already reviewing the illegality of hoteliers and the mayor of Tulum in access to beaches
Paradise destination, but expensive
Joaquín Rodríguez Hernández, a tourist from Mexico City, commented that Tulum seems like a “paradisiacal” destination, although more expensive.
“The impression it leaves us, well, it leaves me, is that it is a different type of tourism compared to Cancun. Well, each one has its special things. But now that I saw it, I feel that it is very luxurious,” he considered.
After a special operation, due to the increase in prices of basic products and tourist services, the Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office (Profeco) revealed that in Tulum the average cost of double rooms was 4,771.94 pesos (261.19 dollars), with a minimum of 2,200 (120 dollars) and a maximum of 13,860 pesos (758.63 dollars).
The operation confirmed that a single room in the Jaguar Park area reaches an average price of 3,577.50 pesos (195.82 dollars), with rates ranging from 1,200 to 10,569 pesos (65.68 and 578.5 dollars).
In contrast, the establishments in the center of Tulum, far from the beaches, offer single rooms between 600 and 1,200 pesos (32.84 and 65.68 dollars), while double rooms range between 700 and 1,400 pesos (38.31 and 76.63 dollars).
As for food, according to Profeco, an order of three tacos can cost up to 400 (21.89) while on average in the country this food ranges between 45 and 140 pesos (2.46 and 7.66 dollars).
Quesadillas sell between 120 and 290 pesos (6.57 and 15.87 dollars), with an average of 201.25 pesos (11 dollars), which on average costs between 20 and 50 pesos (1.09 and 2.74 dollars) in places like Mexico City.
With information from EFE
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