Overview
- Official data show hotel occupancy fell to 49.2% in September 2025 from 66.7% a year earlier, a 17.5 percentage‑point drop.
- Airport activity weakened, with only 24 domestic and 24 international flights in the last week of September and route cancellations by Copa, Avianca and Alaska Airlines reported.
- The city’s “Acceso libre a playas” plan removes cover charges at select access points but forbids bringing food, drinks, coolers or umbrellas, with consumption allowed only at participating businesses.
- Industry voices attribute the downturn to structural issues including overbuilding, high pricing, security concerns, sargassum, and deficits in water and sewage services, urging a comprehensive overhaul.
- On-the-ground effects include empty hotels and restaurants, service workers shifting to Cancún or Playa del Carmen for jobs, and reports of unusually low summer occupancy, including 15% in some central hotels.