Service providers from various sectors in Tulum reported that the Easter holiday season did not bring the expected profits, despite the arrival of thousands of visitors to the destination.
Alberto García, a waiter by trade, said that tour guides and artisans agreed that Holy Week was the period in which they reached up to 80 percent of their operational capacity; however, this flow significantly decreased in the following days, directly impacting sales and local economic movement.
“We were expecting a more prosperous season this year, but after Easter, we noticed a significant decrease in the number of tourists visiting our establishments,” he stated.
Given this situation, he indicated that strategies are needed to attract more visitors and keep the local economy moving throughout the rest of the year, such as diversifying tourist offerings, promoting cultural and natural activities, for which they require the help of authorities from all three levels of government.
Meanwhile, Alonso Gutiérrez, a pioneering boatman in the beach area, commented that due to the restrictions and the double charge made to access Tulum National Park, visitors diverted to other tourist sites.
He opined that other measures should be taken to allow a more fluid entry of visitors because it is affecting the commercial activity of dozens of families that depend on this industry.
He detailed that the first week of vacation reached 80 percent operability, but the rest of the holiday period they barely operated at 40 percent. And although on this occasion the sargassum was not a negative factor, because it landed very little, the aforementioned factors diminished commercial activities and did not meet expectations.
“We hoped that the flow of tourists would remain constant after Holy Week, but unfortunately, it was not the case. We have been economically affected,” he lamented.
Source: La Jornada Maya
