After the Tulum archaeological zone registered its worst year in visitor numbers in over a decade in 2025, the decline has continued to deepen during the first quarter of 2026.
The statistical report from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) shows that in the first three months of the year, the site received 257,978 tourists, representing a 33.1% drop compared to the same period of the previous year, when it attracted 385,879 visitors.
In other words, the double-digit downward trend continues even compared to the worst year on record since 2010.
Although in 2025 it remained the third most visited site in the country with 1,031,443 visitors, this figure is the lowest in 15 years, with the exception of 2020 and 2021, the years of the global lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Statistical data shows that its worst year coincided with the Army’s takeover of access to Tulum National Park, which includes the archaeological zone and the new Jaguar Park. This led to the implementation of fees for beach access.
In 2025, this sparked citizen protests denouncing this policy by the armed forces, encouraged by the federal government.
However, Tulum also faced a widespread crisis in 2025 due to both exorbitant prices for transportation, restaurants, and lodging, and scandals involving authorities who, in an attempt to reverse the destination’s negative image, promoted “free access” to its beaches while prohibiting entry with food, drinks, or umbrellas, forcing patrons to patronize local businesses.
The crisis led to significant drops in hotel occupancy and prompted the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council to launch promotional efforts to reverse the decline.
The president of the Tulum hoteliers, David Ortiz Mena, commented that after what happened in 2025, one of the biggest challenges continues to be managing the destination’s image, and he has made multiple calls to strengthen promotion as the only way to counteract the bad image of one of the most exclusive destinations in the Mexican Caribbean.
Source: eleconomista
