Tulum’s Tour Guides Face Tough Times During Off-Season

TULUM, Mexico – Tour guides at the Tulum Archaeological Zone are currently facing one of the most challenging off-seasons they’ve ever encountered, prompting them to implement “solidarity breaks” due to the noticeable drop in tourist numbers.

In an interview, Julio César Villagómez Villalobos, a local guide, explained that they’ve had to split into two groups and distribute their working days throughout the week because there has been a significant decrease in visitors to the archaeological site.

He further noted that the influx of visitors is well below the usual 1,500 daily entries, with the majority arriving through tourist agencies from Cancún and the Riviera Maya, which provide their own guides.

Out of approximately 400 individuals who visit the archaeological site independently, local guides only manage to engage with about 40% of them, he added.

Alejandro Torres Perera, another guide working within the archaeological zone, pointed out that some of his colleagues now work only once or twice a week due to the decreased flow of visitors.

“The activity in the archaeological zone is notably low, but it’s a widespread issue affecting not only us but also taxi drivers, boat operators, and other tourism service providers,” he concluded.