The arrival of tourism to the entity remained slow in the first fortnight of the month after a hotel occupancy of 43 percent was recorded at the end of 2020, so this industry could face the “January slope” until the second half of March when travelers intend to enjoy Easter in the state.
The president of the Mexican Association of Hotels of Yucatán (AMHY), Héctor Navarrete Medina, considered that the closures of borders in European countries, as well as in the United States and the fact that Mexico City remains at a red light, are the main factors that impact the tourist activity of Yucatan.
During the last week of December, Yucatecan hotel occupancy, mainly in the city of Mérida, remained at 43 percent, on average, but in the first half of the month, the figure went down.
On January 6, the occupation began to drop drastically, which is why they estimate that it will remain so until March so that the “January slope” for the sector could extend to the third month of the year.
“Hotel occupancy in the entity began to drop drastically, especially when the pandemic began, so we are fearful that if occupancy rates do not rise, we will have to face a second crisis in less than a year,” he said.
Navarrete Medina commented that a second economic crisis in the sector would be very dangerous for companies since they have not yet recovered from the three months that they were closed due to social confinement.
He pointed out that they trust that infections in Yucatán will not continue to rise and that the vaccination strategy in the country will go smoothly so that the sector can begin to recover during Holy Week.
A fter achieving a recovery of between 50 and 60 percent during the December holiday period, businessmen and managers of tourist inns on the Yucatecan coast are going through a complicated situation at this start of the year, since the demand for services for Visitors has fallen again to 20 and 30 percent, so it is urgent to allocate support or work plans for this sector.
Heisler Pacheco Alcocer, manager of the “El Manglar RíoLagartos” tourist parador, commented that the start of 2021 looks black for the sector, since only during weekends some visitors arrive, who are practically “fought” by the owners of restaurants, hotels and other service companies.
He added that the passage of cold fronts and the effects of “north” have complicated tourist activity on the coast, which is why they barely cover the operating expenses of the businesses and pay their employees, a situation that is estimated to last during February and March, before the Easter holidays.
“During the holiday season we had a good recovery, up to 60 percent compared to previous years, but now we have fallen again, once the holidays were over, people returned to their homes, and the beaches and inns they have looked almost empty ”, he warned.
He admitted that the arrival of national visitors helped to reactivate the economy on the coast and other areas of the State, such as the east and in the “Magic Towns.”
