What for years was viewed as a destination offering job opportunities and tourism-driven growth is today beginning to reflect a different reality in Tulum, where an increasing number of workers are deciding to leave the municipality due to a lack of stable employment and the rising cost of living.
Employees in hotels, restaurants, and construction sites—hailing from states such as Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz, and Mexico City—report that low tourist occupancy rates have triggered staff reductions, often disguised under the guise of “solidarity leave” schemes; under this arrangement, workers are sent home without pay and with no certainty of ever returning to their jobs.
Workers recount that many businesses are maintaining only minimal operations due to the drop in visitor numbers, while rental costs remain prohibitively high—often exceeding the income of those who rely on temporary jobs tied to the tourism and construction sectors.
This situation is already becoming evident across various parts of the city, marked by shuttered businesses, fewer passengers on public transport, and “For Rent” signs that remain visible for weeks on end—all set against the backdrop of an economic slowdown that is hitting hardest those who arrived in search of a better life.
Residents and workers alike agree that the so-called “Tulum Dream” has devolved into a state of uncertainty for hundreds of families who are now choosing to return to their places of origin, driven away by a lack of job security and the high cost of continuing to live in the destination.
Source: solquintanaroo
