Tulum transportation workers report steep decline in tourists

Public proscription betwixt Tulum and Playa del Carmen is seeing 1 of its sharpest declines successful caller years, with regular ridership falling by much than 50%, according to estimates by section transport operators. 

Union representatives said the historical driblet has had a terrible economical impact, arsenic request remains good beneath erstwhile years. Just past year, immoderate 70,000 passengers utilized the work each day. Today, that fig has dropped to betwixt 30,000 and 35,000, according to the transport union.  

Residents of Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cancún and Felipe Carrillo Puerto commonly usage the corporate autobus for their regular transportation. These alleged vans connection much affordable fares than nationalist buses, costing 60 pesos per ride. However, they are besides fashionable among tourists. 

Moisés Pool Quijano, wide caput of the National Union of Transporters of Change (UNTRAC) successful Tulum, attributed the slump to a alteration successful tourer arrivals. He pointed to respective factors down the diminution including information concerns, massive amounts of sargassum arriving connected section beaches and the caller introduction interest astatine Jaguar Park, which besides covers formation access. 

Due to the alteration successful rider flow, Quijano explained that transport unions were driven to trim the regular fees that operators indispensable screen by 200 pesos arsenic a enactment measurement successful airy of the challenging economical scenario.

“Operating costs, specified arsenic substance and portion maintenance, stay high, but we simply can’t marque ends meet,” helium said. 

Public vans aren’t the lone ones deed by the slump successful tourists arrivals. Lourdes Jiménez Rojo, commercialized manager of ADO Mobility successful the Riviera Maya, said rider numbers to and from Tulum International Airport this summertime play person fallen betwixt 20-30% compared to the aforesaid play successful 2024. She added that archetypal projections for the play successful Tulum were not met, portion Cancún maintained unchangeable visitant numbers.

Tulum Airport loses different bearer arsenic Discover Airlines moves its flights to Cancún

Several airlines from the United States, including American, Delta, JetBlue and United, are drastically cutting backmost capableness for the upcoming wintertime season, with important cuts connected routes from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, Charlotte, Chicago and New York. Earlier this month, Discover Airlines, the German subsidiary of Lufthansa, joined the list, canceling its nonstop way to Tulum from Frankfurt, which was acceptable to commencement this winter.

Overall, spot availability connected flights to Tulum Airport is expected to driblet by 27%, reflecting deflated tourism request pursuing the enthusiasm of past year.

With reports from La Jornada Maya, QR Agenda and Sol Quintana Roo