The start of the summer tourist season in Mexico’s Caribbean coast has been marred by a massive influx of sargassum, a type of macroalgae that is causing disruptions and affecting visitor numbers.
According to officials, more than 20,000 tons of sargassum have been collected so far this season, with an expected increase of over 40% in the coming weeks. The situation has prompted emergency operations involving naval, state, and municipal agencies to clean up beaches like El Recodo and Punta Esmeralda.
The impact on tourism has been significant, with many visitors choosing not to visit Mexico due to concerns about the sargassum. José Gómez, secretary of the Caribbean Sea Tourism Cooperative, noted that while improvement is expected for the summer months of July and August, the situation remains challenging.
“We’re working hard to mitigate the problem and make sure tourists have a good experience,” he said. “We’re optimistic that the summer could be very busy, but it all depends on the weather.”
Water activities like diving and fishing can still be carried out in deep waters where the sargassum does not reach, but changes have had to be made to boarding areas to prevent tourists from having to wade through the algae.
Samantha Álvarez, secretary of Environment and Climate Change for Playa del Carmen, reported that around 8,000 tons of sargassum have been collected so far this year. “It’s never 100% clean,” she noted. “What we do is mitigate the problem to prevent it from stinking and continuing to affect the visitor experience.”
The massive arrival of sargassum occurs every year in early spring and lasts until September or October, with a peak occurrence between April and May. The situation has been exacerbated by erratic weather patterns and ocean currents.
In 2024, Mexico welcomed 45 million international tourists, representing a 7.4% increase over the previous year. However, the sargassum crisis is expected to have a significant impact on tourism numbers in the coming months.
Source: El Mundo
