Tulum’s hotels face significant expenses to remove sargassum, hire additional staff, purchase equipment, and install containment barriers. During the most severe influxes, these efforts can cost several million pesos per month. The burden is compounded by cancellations, guest requests to change accommodation, discounted rates, and the need to explain conditions that may not match travellers’ expectations before arrival.
Against this backdrop, limiting hotel operations to the busiest months or to periods with less seaweed is not seen as a workable solution. Temporary closures would affect permanent jobs and an economic network that includes restaurants, transport operators, shops, tour guides, suppliers, and families whose livelihoods depend on tourism. Reducing hotel activity would also weaken the destination’s ability to maintain reliable services and respond to international demand.
Current occupancy levels reflect this pressure. Coastal hotels operating under a European-style model are reporting occupancy of around 20%, while all-inclusive resorts are reaching approximately 40%. Although demand is shaped by several factors, sargassum has become an increasingly important consideration in booking decisions and in hotels’ ability to meet their operating costs.
The challenge calls for a permanent, coordinated response. Offshore collection, the installation and maintenance of barriers, responsible beach-cleaning practices, and proper management of the collected material must be part of a continuous strategy. There is also a need to promote initiatives that explore productive uses for the seaweed, provided they meet environmental and health standards, helping reduce waste volumes while creating potential economic value.
Tourism stakeholders are calling for stronger institutional involvement and financing mechanisms that spread the financial burden of this environmental emergency. Businesses can contribute to day-to-day operations and improve their procedures, but they cannot reasonably be expected to bear the full cost of a problem of this scale for such extended periods. Coordination among public authorities, private companies, local communities, and specialists will be essential to protect the coastline and safeguard employment.
Tulum is therefore being forced to rethink how it approaches tourism seasons. Sargassum requires the destination to replace traditional planning assumptions with flexible management, real-time information, response protocols, and transparent communication with travellers. Its ability to adapt will determine not only the future condition of its beaches, but also the confidence of those who support its tourism economy throughout the year.
