In an unprecedented turn of events in the history of Tulum—once hailed as the “crown jewel”—the jewel has become a crown of thorns. According to local business owners—and unequivocally so—this formerly world-class destination is now in its death throes. This is not a matter of mere perception; it is a clinical autopsy of a tourism sector that has died.
Boutique hotels that once charged $500 a night are now begging for guests at 30% occupancy; Airbnbs sit empty; and restaurants in the hotel zone have dragged their tables out onto the sidewalk, hoping to snag a stray customer.
The American and European tourists—the kind who used to spend money without a second thought—are no longer coming. They’ve gone to Costa Rica. They’ve gone to Cartagena and other destinations; they’ve simply had enough.
The turquoise sea has turned a putrid brown; sargassum seaweed has been choking our shores since April, yet no one cleans it up because “there’s no budget.” However, when it comes to charging admission to public beaches, fining a waiter for not smiling, or inventing invisible “environmental taxes”—that’s when the government suddenly shows up. Tourists are treated like ATMs, not like guests. And tourists aren’t stupid.
EMPTY BUSINESSES, BANKRUPT FAMILIES:
Walk down Tulum Avenue. “FOR RENT,” “FOR SALE,” and “BUSINESS FOR SALE” signs appear on every single block. Businesses that managed to survive the pandemic are now unable to survive the government. Rents have skyrocketed, electricity rates have soared, extortion demands have surged… the only thing that has gone down is sales volume. The exodus of workers continues: cooks, housekeepers, tour guides—all fleeing to Playa del Carmen, to Cancún, or to anywhere else where actual work can be found.
Luxury apartments that once rented for 40,000 pesos can’t find a tenant today, even at 15,000. Rooms intended for workers—priced at 4,000 to 6,000 pesos—sit empty. Who is supposed to pay that kind of rent when there are no jobs? Families who staked everything on Tulum are now liquidating their homes at rock-bottom prices just to put food on the table. The dream of the “Great Tourism Colossus” has turned into a nightmare.
AND THE GOVERNMENT? FINE, THANKS.
While Tulum bleeds out, the authorities are off attending forums, spouting rhetoric about “sustainability” and our status as a “Magical Town.” The only magic involved will be if we actually manage to survive past 2026.
There is no real plan to combat sargassum. There is no serious tourism promotion. There is no security. There are only photo ops for social media and hollow speeches. Tulum doesn’t need an influencer as its mayor; it needs a manager—someone to put out the fire.
We were sold the fantasy that Tulum was the new Ibiza, the new Bali. Reality has spat right in our faces: we are an expensive, filthy, unsafe town—and we have no tourists.
Tourism—that golden goose—has finally grown tired of being plucked clean. And when tourism sneezes, the families of Tulum catch pneumonia. Today, thousands of families depend on a tourism industry that simply isn’t showing up anymore.
Source: mexicodailypost
