Crisis Hits Playa del Carmen and Cancún Tourism Hard

The tourism industry in Quintana Roo, home to popular destinations Playa del Carmen and Cancún, is facing a significant downturn. The low season, which had been manageable in the past three years, has returned with a vengeance due to a sharp decline in visitor numbers over the summer. This period, locally referred to as Septihambre, Octuhambre, and Novihambre, represents two and a half months of hardship for the tourism industry, ending in mid-November when the high season begins.

Cancún International Airport has reported a concerning decrease in the arrival of flights and passengers, with less than 400 arrivals per day recorded over a week, dropping to as low as 358 on one day.

In Playa del Carmen, small hotels in the downtown area are struggling with payroll payments, low occupancy, and staff shortages. Offner Arjona, a representative of the sector, revealed that the crisis has forced many establishments to cut costs dramatically and seek alternative income sources. The extension of the holiday period has exacerbated the situation, leading to increased hiring and operational costs due to low occupancy.

Despite the majority of hotels remaining open, they face significant challenges in covering payroll and recurrent expenses. The drop in hotel occupancy in Cancún is already impacting workers in the sector. By the end of August, occupancy rates averaged only 61.8 percent, a figure not seen in many years, and it is feared that the low season will be even worse.

Workers like Delia Arteaga, a maid at the Secrets Playa Blanca hotel in Costa Mujeres, have already started to dip into their savings to survive until mid-November. "I'm using my savings to get through the low season. I've had to cut back on non-essential expenses and hope to make it through to mid-November," she said.

Moreover, it wasn't just the low occupancy that made this summer tough for hotel workers. Tourists also spent less money, with many not even leaving tips, according to Arteaga.