In June, city workers from the Mexican city of Tulum, armed with shovels and wheelbarrows, descended on the resort’s famous beach and were tasked with clearing the massive pile of sargassum that covered the crystal-clear waters.
By that point this year, officials said they had collected 1,900 tons of the troublesome seaweed, more than the 1,300 tons collected in all of 2024.
Local officials and hotel owners told CNN this year’s sargassum volume is the highest since 2018, contributing to this year’s drop in tourism.
But seaweed is not the only problem facing Tulum, a Yucatan town known for its idyllic coastline and archaeological wonders. Other factors, such as a volatile U.S. economy, worsening local security and beach management, are also impacting tourism in this popular Caribbean destination for Americans.
Tulum received fewer tourists this summer than in 2024, according to official figures and industry leaders.
According to the Quintana Roo Tourism Board, hotel occupancy rate for the week of August 16-22 this year was 53.3%, and fell even lower to 48.1% for the week of September 6-12.
David Ortiz Mena, president of the Tulum Hotel Association, told CNN that the numbers for this period are about four points lower than the 2024 numbers. But he dismissed the idea that the situation was critical, insisting that summer was not the region’s peak season and that tourism would start to increase as the end of the year approached.
Ortiz Mena said he believes the main reason for the summer downturn is economic uncertainty in the United States, which accounts for about 60% of Tulum’s tourists.
The businessman said U.S. inflation, interest rate changes, and the recent 43-day government shutdown (which suspended payments to many federal employees) have forced Americans to limit vacation time.
But he said there were already “clear signs of recovery”.
Hotel occupancy reached 59.8% for the week of Oct. 18-24 and 69.1% for the week of Nov. 1-7, according to the latest data from the state tourism department.
“Tulum remains a great destination. It has a wide range of tourist attractions. Unfortunately, the negative aspects are being emphasized and it is difficult to convey the positive aspects,” Ortiz Mena said.
His opinion was echoed by Eliazar Mas Kinir, a member of the Tulum City Council who focuses on tourism, industry, commerce and agricultural issues.
“The United States is our neighbor, so everything that happens in the United States affects us,” Mas Kinil told CNN. “At the end of the day, I think the American people are being careful with their resources.” He predicted Tulum would have “a much higher season” in December and January.
To attract more American tourists, authorities have also been working to improve security, with problems reaching a boiling point in March when local security chief José Roberto Rodríguez Bautista was killed in an armed attack.
The U.S. Department of State remains under a Level 4 travel advisory for all of Quintana Roo. This means Americans are being asked to use increased caution when visiting the state.
Hazael Seron, coordinator of the Center for Tourism Research and Competitiveness at Anahuac University, said he believes the main challenge is to strategically plan the development of Tulum. He said the town experienced a “boom” after the coronavirus pandemic, boosted by recent public works projects such as a new international airport and the Tremaya Railway, a large rail system connecting five states on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Tulum authorities and management need to work with academics to analyze travel trends, invest in both hotels and city infrastructure, monitor the quality of service and prevent overcharging tourists, Theron said.
“Tulum is an example that we must follow. In fact, I think this will be an experiment for other traditional destinations that are also lagging behind, such as Acapulco and Mazatlan,” he said.
Councilor Mas Quinil acknowledged that strategic planning, establishing clear rules on issues such as beach access, and improving tourism services are important elements for Tulum’s future.
“We, as tourism officials, operators, guides, taxi drivers and the public, also need to reflect on the fact that we have to provide better services so that tourists come back to Tulum,” he said.
Mas Kinil recalled that the recent establishment of nature reserves has imposed new restrictions that prevent tourists from entering some beaches with disposable items such as plastic bottles and straws.
He said beach access remains free for Mexicans and foreigners and that authorities are working to better explain rules aimed at protecting the environment.
Officials and business leaders expect hotel occupancy to increase toward the end of the year and early next year. They also see the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with the United States and Canada, as an opportunity for Tulum to welcome more tourists.
Although Tulum is not one of the host cities, the tourism industry is confident that Mexico’s Caribbean resorts and other cities can attract foreigners to the country for the games.
Ortiz Mena pointed out that Tulum has 10,800 hotel rooms, ranging from luxury suites to hostels that cost $20 to $22 a night.
“It is very likely that this will contribute to the Mexican Caribbean, where people will take advantage of the extensive hotel infrastructure and excellent connectivity. It is estimated that this will mean an additional one million tourists to the Mexican Caribbean in 2026,” he said.
Researcher Seron said that although room rates have remained stable, taxi fares and other costs tend to be higher, including the price of coconuts, which some businesses sell for up to 200 pesos (about $10.50).
“Suddenly we saw a basket of golden eggs and wanted to squeeze it dry. And that’s what happened,” he said.
