With the 2026 Carnival festivities concluding this Tuesday, February 17, Mazatlán’s hotel sector faces a clear challenge: returning to the occupancy levels of the years prior to the Sinaloa Cartel’s internal war, which has driven down tourism figures in the port city.
José Gámez Valle, representative of the Mazatlán Hotel and Tourism Business Association, pointed out that before the conflict, the port’s prosperity was evident.
He stated that since 2020, the destination had enjoyed strong numbers, consistently exceeding the previous year’s figures in terms of hotel stays.
“We have to work to ensure Mazatlán maintains high occupancy rates every day of the year, like it used to. You know better than I do when…”
Gámez Valle didn’t explain it with numbers or percentages, but rather by year, in a rapid-fire way: “Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three… record, record, record. Twenty-four, record. And twenty-five… well…”
Gámez Valle indicated that this is the target, and the hotel sector knows where it needs to focus its efforts: on the domestic market. All the studies conducted show that 90 percent of tourists visiting Mazatlán are Mexican, and 10 percent are foreign.
He mentioned that 40 years ago, the formula was reversed: 90 percent foreign and 10 percent domestic.
“I repeat: the challenge is to continue the trends we had. We were always breaking records. In 2020, after the pandemic, Mazatlán reopened as the top destination for hotel occupancy.”
The representative of the Mazatlán Hotel and Tourism Association commented that the perception of insecurity surrounding Sinaloa and the port city of Mazatlán is unhelpful, but the hotel sector must continue its work.
“Unfortunately, the image, the perception, is not positive; however, this isn’t unique to us. It’s a national issue. It’s not a problem specific to Mazatlán, but some people are determined to harm us…”
He urged families to travel in caravans on the state’s highways and to avoid traveling at night. He added that the violence in the state and the country has forced a change in habits for many people, and tourists should take this into account when planning their trips.
Source: revistaespejo
