How to Fix Tourism in Playa Del Carmen
For the past few years, we have seen tourism change in the Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen. How has it changed? The biggest thing is how the low seasons feel and how it feels like a lot less persons are coming. This might be confusing because some of the numbers don’t always seem to support this. While finding accurate numbers might be hard, the real-life problems that thousands of people are facing now in the Riviera Maya is real. The feeling on the street is also telling a story of severe problems with tourism in the area.
It is easy to sit around and complain about the issues; it is harder to actually come up with solutions. In this article we will tackle some of the problems facing the area and offer some possible solutions.
Note: Look for Part 1 of this article where we talk about the problems facing tourism in Playa Del Carmen and the Riviera Maya. We will have a link at the bottom of the article.
What Are the Main Problems with Tourism
Let’s go back to the past two years. What did we say were the reasons tourism was slow? Surprisingly, the last two years have about the same reasons people are not coming in 2026. Some of the reasons were the unpredictable economic stability up north (United States and Canada), seaweed, prices in the Riviera Maya, taxis ripping people off, corruption, and flight prices. So, what are some ideas for possible solutions to help tourism for the area?
Economic Problems in Other Countries
There is nothing Mexico can really do about economic issues in countries where many tourists come from, but there are two strategies that can help.
- Reduce reliance on tourism and diversify the economy.
- Tap more into the national tourism market.
Diversify Away from Tourism
When an economy is so focused on one thing, it can be great while it works but devastating when it does not. Everywhere you look in the Riviera Maya, its central focus is tourism. The Riviera Maya is one of the most tourism-dependent regional economies in the world. While there is no official statistic for the Riviera Maya alone, estimates based on state economic data and employment indicate that between 80% and 90% of the Riviera Maya’s economy is directly or indirectly tied to tourism.
For comparison in Mexico the average % of the economy focused tourism is just 8-9%. In the United States it is 2.5-3% and Spain’s economy is about 12-13% of its economy. Because the economy of the Riviera Maya is so focused on tourism, a small drop can have a big impact on the economy.
Why is the economy in the Rivera Maya so tourism based? It all started back in the 1970’s when the area was not even a state. Cancun was developed into a tourism project and after its success, other parts of the Riviera Maya were developed for tourism. There has never been a big base for any other type of business in the area.
So, what can the area diversify to?
- Education. International schools and universities can become major economic drivers.
- Film production.
- Agriculture.
- Light manufacturing.
- Renewable energy.
These are all fields that can use what the area has and work with nature to promote a sustainable economy.
How to Promote National Tourism
The Riviera Maya needs to be able to tap into different tourism markets when factors reduce arrivals from one group. Mexico has a large growing middle class that is able to affordable travel within Mexico. Mexicans make up about 30% of tourism to the Riviera Maya. Compared to other parts of Mexico, for example Chiapas State which is about 90% national tourism market.
The 30% national tourism in the Riviera Maya might surprise you because it seems like a large percentage. It is a little deceptive since many Mexicans have second homes or are visiting family in the area. There are also nearly 38,000-40,000 Mexicans moving to the state each year. This means that many of the national arrivals are not fully tourists.
So how can Quintana Roo State promote itself more to the national market?
- Some of the steps would be more promotion within Mexico. Advertise the Riviera Maya as a Mexican destination, not just an international one that is expensive.
- Focus on more affordable trips to the area. This means creating more public parks and accessible cenotes and things priced for a Mexican market.
- Show how easy it is to fly affordably from places like Guadalajara and Mexico City for a trip or even short weekend.
What can be done about the Seaweed Problem?
Seaweed (sargassum) has been an issue in the Riveira Maya for 12 years now. Some years are light and others are heavy and discourage people from coming. The predictions for 2026 were for a heavy year. The predictions are playing out to be pretty accurate.
In previous years the typical playbook was put up some barriers and clean the beaches as much as possible, then hope for the best. This has been the playbook for a while now. A small shift has been toward boats that collect the seaweed offshore before it hits the beach. This has had some success, but the amount of seaweed has overwhelmed every deterrence. Different barriers have been tried and the effectiveness of them has improved. The issue of seaweed has been so great that even the President of Mexico was recently in the Riviera Maya.
Finding a way to use the seaweed as a resource is one step. Preventing it from arriving is another step. Designing the perfect barriers has been elusive, finding the balance between blocking the seaweed and allowing sea life to freely move about is a delicate balance. The main thing that can be done now is a coordinated effort and to put a lot of resources toward it. Coordination between forecasting, tracking, barriers, collection and removal. With no end in sight, this looks like a battle that will continue. Unless a more radical aproche is taken.
Seven years ago, we proposed the Playa Islands Project. It would involve building permanent barrier islands off the coast. Parts of the coast would have barrier island that would become a park with bike trails, mangroves and beaches. This would keep the seaweed away from the shore, help with erosion and create a new attraction to the area all in one. While there are many environmental factors to consider, the seaweed problem has been affecting the area for over a decade now. Perhaps a more permanent solution is needed even if there are certain costs to it.
Can Anything Be Done About Flight Prices to Mexico?
You might think that flight prices are out of control from the hands of Mexico. It is actually not and there are some things that can be done. Mexico adds several mandatory government taxes and airport fees to airline tickets, the largest single charge is usually the Airport Use Fee (TUA, Tarifa de Uso de Aeropuerto). Cancun Airport has a high TUA fee. There is also a Visitax for Quintana Roo that adds another approximate $16 USD to foreign visitors. All together there are fees of about $50-$70 USD added to each international passenger. While these taxes help pay for airport operations and tourists’ infrastructure, they can be reduced to promote a more affordable destination.
When compared to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, flying in and out of Cancun is about 40% more expensive. These are competitive markets to the Riviera Maya and something that can be examined to make it more affordable to visit.
Stop Commercialization of Everything
What is there to actually do free in Playa Del Carmen? Not much. We should know because we wrote an article about it and it was hard to think of things that are free. 13 Free things to do in Playa Del Carmen during your vacation!
Over the past decade it seems that everything has been monetizad. If you go to 5th Avenue, you need to shop or stop at a store and buy something to sit down. Want to go to the beach? Buy a pass to a beach club. Want to visit a beautiful place? Pay for a park entrance. Everything seems to be commercialized. This not only hurts the reputation of the area to international tourist it supresas the national tourism market.
By having more free events, parks,and things to do can change the areas reputation and make it more enjoyable for those living in the area.
Back To Basics
One of the biggest turning points for Playa Del Carmen in the past decade that most people will point to is Calle Corazon. This was a small side street off 5th Avenue that had charming shops and restaurants. It was bulldozed and now there stands a shopping mall and hotel with the same name. Many long-time visitors point to this as a turning point where Playa went from charming seaside town to a commercialized and less soulful place.
The Riviera Maya needs to be aware that parts of it have become just like “any Caribbean beach area”. People visit places because they are different than other areas. People want to feel like they have been somewhere unique, beautiful, and special. Create a reginal branding of the area to help it stand out as a unique destination and a cultural destination.
Addressing Corruption and Overcharging
Corruption and overcharging are probably the two biggest threats to the Riviera Maya’s long-term competitiveness. The region has incredible natural and cultural assets, but many visitors leave talking about taxi prices, aggressive sales tactics, scams, or police encounters instead of the beaches and cenotes.
The good news is that these issues are not impossible to address. Many successful tourism destinations have improved their reputations through consistent policy and enforcement. So where to start?
- It can start at the airport by having metered taxis or set pricing. When you arrive at other airports in Mexico there are taxi booths where you buy a fixed price ticket and go to your destination.
- Mexico already has PROFECO (a consumer protection agency), but many tourists do not know it exists. Make it easier to report issues and give the agency more power to resolve issues quickly.
- Have police use bodycams. This has started in both Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. Currently police working in the most visible areas have cameras, however it is not universal.
-
Improve tourism education. Workers that interact with tourist could have training in customer service, languages, cultural awareness, ethical sales, and conflict resolution.
Conclusion
So far, the 2026 season has been very hard for many people. The past few years have also seen changes in the number of people arriving. Many of the issues are connected to other things happening all at the same time. We hope that some of these ideas for addressing the tourism problems in the Riviera Maya can help. We are already seeing more community awareness and action. The Riviera Maya is a wonderful place to visit; we hope that it continues to progress to an authentic destination that has a lot to offer to visitors and eliminates some of the issues facing it now.
In our part 1 of this article, we examine the issues that are facing tourism in the Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen areas in 2026.
About The Author
