Tourism Boom Transforms Playa del Carmen-Tulum!

A recent study reveals that the Playa del Carmen-Tulum corridor in Quintana Roo is undergoing an urban-tourism transformation. This process is characterized by a shift towards activities that primarily serve tourists and boost consumption. This shift has led to the disappearance of typical city activities and middle-class housing areas, replaced by digital platform rental offers.

This transformation has resulted in the displacement of original residents and an increase in the land market for expats, digital nomads, retirees, and travelers. The majority of the local population is now involved in the tourism industry, with 99.68% in Cancun, 97.44% in Puerto Morelos, 98.76% in Playa del Carmen, 95.37% in Cozumel, and 75.15% in Tulum.

Natural assets that were once free are now commodified due to real estate and tourist interests. Beaches, lagoons, cenotes, and jungles have become commodities, resulting in wear and tear on the archaeological heritage of Mayan cities.

The flow of capital towards tourism in the peninsula extends along the 330 kilometers from Cancun to Chetumal, including the islands of Mujeres and Cozumel. This has led to a conurbation process from Cancun-Playa del Carmen-Tulum and the development of hotel tourism projects all along the coast extending to Bacalar.

Simultaneously, there is a decline in housing in towns located to the west of the coastal road, resulting in high deficiencies for the working population. This transformation has led to significant changes in occupation and urbanization, altering social, cultural, and environmental profiles over the past six decades.

The area has seen a significant increase in urbanized surface area, high rates of international migration growth, and consequently, spatial segregation. As of 2020, the largest number of residents in Quintana Roo born in another state or country came from Yucatan (237,845 people), followed by Tabasco (143,685), Veracruz (127,919), Chiapas (116,657), and Mexico City (100,388). There were also 33,705 residents recorded from other countries.