The arrival of sargassum along Mexico’s Caribbean coast has had a devastating impact on tourism businesses, with restaurant owners and beach club operators reporting a significant decline in customers. The accumulation of sargassum has made the beaches almost unrecognizable, leaving visitors disappointed and frustrated.
Restaurant owner Rodrigo Pérez described the situation as “more sargassum than beaches, more sargassum than sand.” Many customers are deterred from visiting by the state of the beach, with some choosing to dine elsewhere. “They arrive, they seem unhappy, they think twice, and generally they decide to go elsewhere for lunch, breakfast, etc.”
Beach clubs have also been severely affected, with occupancy rates dropping by up to 80%. Fernanda Valdez, an operator of a beach club in Tulum, shared that her business has been significantly impacted. “We had about 15 tables a day, and now, this week, we had at most three tables. Per day, all day. It’s affecting us quite a bit.”
Tourists are not afraid to express their disappointment with the state of the beaches. Marisa, a visitor from Argentina, was dismayed by her experience. “We paid a lot to get here and not be able to go into the ocean or walk on the beach. Everything is very beautiful, but they need to improve this.”
The Sargassum Monitoring Network in Quintana Roo predicts a 30% increase in sargassum strandings by 2025, with an estimated cumulative total of more than 57,000 tons. Satellite observations indicate that there are currently between 23 and 25 million tons of sargassum floating in the central Atlantic. The ongoing invasion is causing significant economic losses for Querétaro’s tourism industry.
Source: Excelsior
