Tulum is having a hard season. Hotel rooms are going empty. Airlines are trimming routes. Visitors complain about high prices, beach access fees, and safety concerns. Local operators say the downturn isn’t just a slow patch. It feels different. New data and on-the-ground voices indicate a demand decline that began in the summer and is continuing into fall. Officials insist the picture is mixed across Quintana Roo, but Tulum’s trend is clear enough to make merchants nervous and city leaders defensive.
Bold claims that Tulum is “emptying out” aren’t just online chatter. A new feature in MegaNews reports that hotel occupancy is hovering near the 30% mark, along with visitor complaints about high costs, new access fees, and insecurity. The piece echoes what locals have been posting for weeks.
Tulum tourism slump meets a colder airline map
The soft demand is evident in air seat bookings. U.S. airlines have reduced service to Tulum International (TQO) for the back half of 2025, with route pullbacks by Delta, American, JetBlue, and United after an aggressive launch last winter. Industry trackers and travel outlets report double-digit percentage cuts in frequencies, and some routes dropped outright, leaving Cancún as the more resilient gateway. That is a signal of weaker demand, not just seasonality.
Airport traffic data tell a similar story. Mexico Business News reports that Tulum’s monthly passenger numbers peaked in March and have since declined, including notable drops in July and August. The broader ASUR network in Mexico also reported a year-over-year decline in August traffic, suggesting a broader slowdown that Tulum isn’t escaping.
On the ground, hoteliers and merchants say the pain is real. Yucatán-based outlets and national media report coastal occupancy rates of around 30–40% in stretches of the summer and early fall, with central Tulum experiencing the worst conditions. City leaders have pushed back against the tone of the coverage, urging residents to refrain from amplifying negative messages. But the mayor’s plea itself shows how sensitive the issue has become.
What visitors say is pushing them away
Travelers, guides, and shop owners highlight three key themes: prices, access, and safety perception.
Prices. Room rates and everyday costs rose through the boom years. Now, with fewer flights and more choices across the Caribbean, price fatigue is beginning to set in. Even as top-end hotels discount, some visitors say the overall spend still feels steep for what they get in return.
Access and fees. The formal rollout of VISITAX, the Quintana Roo tourist levy, remains a sore spot even if enforcement is often lax. Official and travel-industry sources estimate the fee to be around 283–320 pesos (approximately US$15–18). Separately, disputes over beach and park access around the Jaguar National Park and the archaeological zone have turned into headlines, with local authorities criticizing restricted entry and new tariffs that visitors don’t expect.
Safety perception. Tulum’s security issues have improved in some metrics and worsened in others, depending on the month you check, but perception drives behavior. National outlets have amplified stories of assaults and disorder, which drag on demand even when incidents are localized or short-lived. Tourism operators say that narrative is complex to counter once it hardens.
Not every number is falling, but the trend is weighing on Tulum
State tourism officials argue the broader summer wasn’t a washout across Quintana Roo. Some hubs reported acceptable averages. Yet that macro view masks Tulum’s fragility this year. When airlines prune routes and small merchants report the weakest earnings since the pandemic, it indicates a destination is losing momentum relative to its neighbors.
There’s also the long tail of sargassum. Heavy landings frustrate travelers who book for beaches first. MegaNews flags the seaweed as a factor in visitor complaints this year. And while cleanup continues, each bad beach day can turn into a bad review. That compounds the price and access issues already in play.
