Riviera Maya hotels welcome federal push to revive Tulum tourism

The Riviera Maya hotel association has thrown its support behind Plan Tulum Renace, the federal package announced by President Claudia Sheinbaum to reverse a steep drop in visitors to Tulum's archaeological zone.

The stakes are concrete. Tourism is one of the main economic engines of Quintana Roo, and the state's most recognizable cultural site has been losing visitors for two straight years. For the hotel sector, that erosion translates directly into pressure on jobs, occupancy, and the thousands of families whose income depends on a steady flow of travelers.

What Plan Tulum Renace includes

During her recent visit to the state, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the measures as part of Plan Tulum Renace. The centerpiece is free entry to the Parque del Jaguar, the state complex that now governs access to the ruins. The plan also lowers admission fees, promises a more affordable transport system, commits to infrastructure upgrades, and lays out a broader promotion strategy aimed at both domestic and international markets.

The Riviera Maya Hotel Association, known by its Spanish initials AHRM, framed the package as a direct answer to a concern the industry has raised for years. The core issue, in its view, has always been the same. Make it easier and cheaper for visitors to reach Tulum's main attractions, and the competitiveness of the destination follows.

A destination losing its main draw

Tulum's ruins have long been the most visited cultural and archaeological site in Quintana Roo. Between 2011 and 2019, the zone drew more than a million visitors a year without interruption.

Attendance peaked in 2018 at roughly 2.1 million. In the years just before the pandemic, the annual average settled between 1.6 and 1.8 million tourists. That was the baseline the destination had come to expect.

The numbers behind the decline

According to figures from the National Institute of Anthropology and History, or INAH, attendance has fallen sharply since the Parque del Jaguar opened. The site received about 1.24 million visitors in 2024. In 2025 the count dropped to 1,031,443, roughly 213,000 fewer people, a decline of 20.7 percent.

Put against the 2018 high, the 2025 total is less than half of what the zone once handled in a single year.

The slide has carried into 2026. The archaeological zone logged 444,035 visitors in the first half of the year, down from 627,634 in the same period of 2025, a reduction close to 29 percent. At that pace, the full year is on track to land below the 2025 figure, which would extend the decline into a third consecutive year.

Why the hotel sector is backing the plan

Toni Chaves, president of the AHRM, welcomed the federal and state response and credited both leaders with listening to the industry.

"We recognize the sensitivity and willingness of President Claudia Sheinbaum and Governor Mara Lezama to listen to the tourism sector's proposals. The measures announced represent an important step toward recovering Tulum's competitiveness and improving the experience of those who visit us."

He tied the destination's recovery to cooperation between the public and private sectors.

"When government and the private sector work in a coordinated way, the main beneficiaries are tourism, the regional economy, and the thousands of families who depend on this activity."

What comes next

The association said it expects the measures, carried out by the federal government in coordination with the Quintana Roo government, to reverse the trend and strengthen Tulum's image in national and international markets. It also pledged to keep working with federal, state, and municipal authorities on sustainable tourism development across the Riviera Maya.

Whether free admission and lower fees are enough to bring visitors back remains an open question. The clearest test will be the attendance figures for the second half of 2026, which will show whether Plan Tulum Renace has begun to bend a curve that has pointed down for two years running.

Do you think free entry to the Parque del Jaguar will bring visitors back to Tulum's ruins? Join the conversation and share your perspective with us on Instagram and Facebook at @thetulumtimes.