Mexican tourists are excluding Quintana Roo from their favorite destinations due to fear of encountering troublesome taxi drivers.
The beaches of Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum are no longer at the top of the list for national travelers, with the poor image of Quintana Roo’s taxi drivers being a significant reason.
Travel consultancies like “Mex-Travel” and “Go-Vacation!” revealed that in the summer season of 2024, Playa del Carmen, Cancún, and Tulum have dropped out of the top three favorite destinations for Mexicans.
They have been replaced by Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta in the Bahía de Banderas region; Los Cabos, Baja California; and Puerto Progreso and Sisal in Yucatán.
Among the reasons why national travelers have opted to stop visiting the Mexican Caribbean is the fear of being involved in conflicts with local taxi unions.
Not Just Taxi Drivers: Hotel Prices Drive Tourists Away
But costs also play a significant role: 35% of people stated that the prices of all-inclusive hotels are excessive, especially in the Riviera Maya.
For this reason, 81% said that in past stays and if they have to travel to the Mexican Caribbean, they will stay in an Airbnb.
Most confirmed that on average, they spend up to 60% more on a leisure trip to Quintana Roo compared to the other mentioned Mexican destinations.
These results seem to align with the low occupancy rates recorded in recent weeks in the tourist cities of Quintana Roo, although the head of the State’s Tourism Secretariat (Sedetur) has repeatedly stated that the state receives more visitors than in previous years. However, with the increase in room availability due to new infrastructure, the percentage of occupied beds is trending downward.
Additionally, the annual survey conducted by Sedetur places transportation as one of the aspects that causes the most dissatisfaction among travelers, with 19% of respondents considering it poor.
Source: Sipse
