US economy – and seaweed – slow tourist flow to Mexico’s Caribbean resort town

By Mauricio Torres, CNN

(CNN) — Armed with shovels and wheelbarrows, municipal workers from Tulum, Mexico, were deployed to the resort town’s famed beaches in June, tasked with removing large quantities of sargassum that had piled up to cover the crystal-clear waters.

By that point in the year, authorities said they had collected 1,900 tons of the pesky seaweed, more than the 1,300 tons collected in all of 2024.

Local officials and hotel owners have told CNN that the amount of sargassum this year is the largest they’ve seen since 2018 – an issue that has contributed to a lower flow of visitors this year.

But the seaweed isn’t the only problem facing Tulum, a town in Yucatán Peninsula renowned for its idyllic coastlines and archaeological wonders. Other factors, such as the shaky US economy, local insecurity and the management of beaches, are also impacting tourism at this Caribbean destination, a favorite among Americans.

Uncertainty in the US

Tulum had fewer tourists this summer than in 2024, according to official figures and industry leaders.

During the week of August 16-22 this year, hotel occupancy was 53.3%, and the week of September 6-12 was even lower, dropping to 48.1%, according to the tourism secretariat of Quintana Roo state.

David Ortiz Mena, president of the Tulum Hotel Association, told CNN that the figures for this period are about four percentage points lower than those of 2024. He, however, rejected the notion that the situation is critical, arguing that summer is not the area’s peak season and that tourism begins to increase as the year comes to an end.

Ortiz Mena said he believes the main reason behind the summer slump was the economic uncertainty in the United States, which accounts for approximately 60% of Tulum’s tourists.

According to the businessman, inflation in the US, changes in interest rates and even the recent 43-day government shutdown – which paused payments to many federal workers – forced Americans to limit their vacations.

But there are already signs of “a clear recovery,” he said.

Hotel occupancy was 59.8% in the week of October 18-24 and reached 69.1% in the week of November 1-7, according to the most recent data from the state tourism secretariat.

“Tulum remains a great destination. It has a wide range of tourist attractions. Unfortunately, the negative aspects are emphasized, making it difficult to convey the positive,” said Ortiz Mena.

His views were shared by Eliazar Mas Kinil, Tulum City Council member with a focus on tourism, industry, commerce and agricultural affairs.

“The United States is our neighbor. So, everything that happens in the United States impacts us,” Mas Kinil told CNN. “In the end, I think American citizens are careful with their resources.” Tulum will have “a much higher season” in December and January, he predicted.

To attract more American tourists, officials are also working to improve public safety, an issue that reached a boiling point in March when local Secretary of Security José Roberto Rodríguez Bautista was killed in an armed attack.

The US State Department still maintains a Level 2 travel advisory – out of possible 4 – for all of Quintana Roo. This means that Americans are urged to exercise increased caution when visiting the state.

Planning for the future

Hazael Cerón, coordinator of the Center for Tourism Research and Competitiveness at Anáhuac University, said he believes the main challenge is to strategically plan Tulum’s development. He said the town experienced “a boom” after the Covid-19 pandemic and was boosted by recent public works projects such a new international airport and the Tren Maya, a large rail system connecting five states in the Yucatán Peninsula.

According to Cerón, Tulum’s authorities and business owners must work with academics to analyze travel trends, invest in both hotel and urban infrastructure, monitor the quality of services and prevent excessive charges for tourists.

“Tulum is an example we must protect. In fact, I think it will be an experiment for other traditional destinations that are also falling behind, like Acapulco or Mazatlán,” he said.

Councilman Mas Kinil acknowledged that strategic planning, establishing clear rules on issues such as beach access, and improving tourist services are key aspects for Tulum’s future.

“We, the public servants in tourism, the operators, the guides, the taxi drivers, the people, we also need to reflect on the fact that we have to provide better service to our tourists … so that they return to Tulum,” he said.

Mas Kinil recalled that the recent establishment of a natural reserve resulted in new restrictions that now prevent tourists from entering some beaches with disposable objects like plastic bottles and straws.

He said access to the beaches is still free for Mexicans and foreigners, and that authorities are working to better explain the rules that aim to protect the environment.

An eye on the 2026 World Cup

Officials and business leaders expect hotel occupancy to grow toward the end of the year and the beginning of the next one. They also see the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the US and Canada, as an opportunity for Tulum to receive more visitors.

Although Tulum will not be one of the tournament’s host cities, the tourism sector is confident that the resort town, or others in the Mexican Caribbean, can attract foreigners traveling to the country for the games.

Ortiz Mena noted that Tulum has 10,800 hotel rooms, ranging from luxury suites to hostels priced between $20 and $22 a night.

“It is very likely that this will contribute to the Mexican Caribbean, that people will take advantage of the extensive hotel infrastructure and the excellent connectivity, and this is estimated to mean 1 million more travelers for the Mexican Caribbean in 2026,” he said.

Cerón, the researcher, said that while room prices have remained stable, taxi fares and other costs tend to be high, including the price of coconut, which some businesses sell for up to 200 pesos, about $10.50.

“Suddenly we see the basket of golden eggs and want to milk it dry, and that’s what happened,” he said.

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CNN’s Michael Rios contributed to this story.