Tulum Vacation Rental Occupancy Drops To 20%: Authorities Hope New Free Beach Access Will Drive More Tourists

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TULUM — The “Tulum dream” of boho-chic luxury and pristine natural beauty has run into a harsh 2025 reality. The destination is currently facing a tourism crisis, with vacation rental occupancy rates in the municipality plummeting to a staggering 20.5%, down from 25% this time last year.

In a recent report, hotel occupancy was also noted as being 17% lower than last year.

This downturn is the result of a “perfect storm” that savvy travelers have been warning about for months: a combination of “artificially marketed” high costs that finally hit a breaking point, and a massive public backlash over the closure of popular beach access points.

Now, in a significant effort to repair the destination’s damaged image and win back visitors, federal and state authorities are in damage control mode, announcing a series of new, free, and permanent public access points to its world-famous beaches.

Here at The Cancun Sun, we’re diving into the on-the-ground reality of Tulum’s challenges and the new solutions that could save its upcoming high season.

The Problem: A “Vibe Mismatch” of High Costs & No Access

Tulum’s current crisis has been years in the making. The destination’s meteoric rise on social media led to a boom in luxury pricing. As Manuel Lozano Álvarez, director of the Vacation Rental Expo, explained, the destination was “artificially marketed with high costs which led to the current crisis”.

This problem was severely aggravated by a massive public relations failure: the closure of public beach access.

For years, travelers and locals alike have struggled to get to the public sand, which was hidden behind a wall of private hotels and beach clubs. This frustration boiled over in September 2024, when the new Jaguar Park (Parque Nacional del Jaguar) was placed under the control of a military-managed company. Traditional, free access points were suddenly closed, and new, high-priced fees were imposed, sparking widespread anger from locals and tourists who felt locked out of their own beaches.

With occupancy now at a critical 20.5%, authorities have finally recognized that they can’t charge premium prices for a destination that feels unwelcoming.

The Solution: A Flurry of New, Free Beach Access Points

In the last few weeks, authorities have scrambled to fix the problem. First, in October, they brokered a landmark deal with 15 prominent hotels and beach clubs—including Papaya Playa Project, Ahau, and Coco Tulum—to voluntarily provide free, unrestricted public access through their properties.

Now, as of this week, the government has announced even more.

On November 12, the Secretary of Tourism, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, announced the opening of two new, 100% free public access points within the controversial Jaguar Park itself. This move directly addresses the core of the backlash, with Governor Mara Lezama stating that the “most felt and requested” access is now free, “as it is a right and not a privilege”.

Furthermore, authorities also announced the opening of two additional new public access points in the main Hotel Zone: one at Playa Conchitas (Km 4.4) and another at Playa del Pueblo (Km 5.5).

A New Crisis: The “Great Oversupply”

While solving the beach access issue is a critical first step, Tulum faces a second, deeper economic problem: a massive oversupply of vacation rentals.

Even as occupancy has plummeted to 20.5%, the supply of new units continues to explode. According to the Quintana Roo Real Estate Developers Association, Tulum now has over 11,000 vacation rental units, nearly matching its 12,000 hotel rooms. With hundreds more projects still under construction, all planned to be rented on platforms like Airbnb, the market is completely flooded.

This has created a “buyer’s market” for accommodations. The average nightly rate for a vacation rental has already dropped, from $147 in 2024 to $145 in 2025, a trend that will likely continue downward as thousands of empty units compete for a smaller pool of tourists.

What This Means for Your Winter Vacation

Tulum is at a crossroads. The “artificial” high prices are collapsing in the rental market, and authorities are finally delivering on their promise of free and open beaches.

For savvy travelers, this presents a unique opportunity. The upcoming 2025-2026 high season may be the first time in years that Tulum is both affordable and accessible. You will be able to find deals on accommodation that simply did not exist last year, and you will now have multiple, guaranteed-free access points to enjoy the stunning beaches you came for. The government’s hope is that these new, tangible solutions will be enough to lure travelers back and save its most famous, and most troubled, destination.