Just weeks before the official start of the summer season, the hotel sector in northern Quintana Roo faces a challenging outlook. The combination of a decrease in available airline seats and the heavy arrival of sargassum are marking one of the most important seasons for tourism in Cancún.
Rodrigo de la Peña, president of the Hotel Association of Cancún, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres (AHCPMIM), explained that the pace of reservations for July and August is progressing more slowly than usual, largely due to the reduction in air connectivity to the region.
“Some airline seats have been reduced, and although the airport maintains stable numbers, we have more hotel rooms available, so we need more tourists to maintain good occupancy levels,” the hotel leader noted.
The cancellation of routes to the Tulum airport has also impacted demand. Currently, average occupancy remains at 70 percent, with Costa Mujeres leading the way at 75 percent, while Puerto Morelos has more moderate figures, between 63 and 65 percent. Given this scenario, 60 percent of hotels have opted to implement value-added strategies to maintain their competitiveness without falling into a rate war.
Added to all of this is the impact of sargassum, which has arrived in large volumes in recent weeks, particularly in Puerto Morelos, where beach cleanup has become a real operational challenge. The restriction on the use of heavy machinery in protected areas has forced many hotels to perform these tasks manually.
“We have barges working, but some hotels are within natural parks and machinery is not allowed, forcing employees to do everything under the sun, which is exhausting,” explained De la Peña, who explained that special permits are already being processed for the use of lighter equipment.
Although sargassum has not caused a significant drop in hotel occupancy, it has affected visitor perceptions. Many tourists choose to enjoy the resort pools instead of going to the beach, but the unpleasant smell and appearance of the seaweed directly impact the vacation experience.
In parallel, the Association is working with municipal and state authorities on tourism infrastructure improvement projects, funded with resources from the Environmental Sanitation Law. In Puerto Morelos, priority will be given to the rehabilitation of roads affected by the rains, such as the entrance to Petempich Bay.
Progress is also reported on Isla Mujeres, where port facilities in Punta Sam will be renovated and urban improvements are planned, such as the modernization of the Turtle Farm. In Cancún, meetings with the municipality are still pending, although the sector maintains positive expectations regarding resource management.
Source: reportur
