For a developer or land investor in the Riviera Maya, tourism statistics are not journalistic trivia: they are the most direct evidence of the demand that justifies every hotel, residential or short-term rental project built in the region. The figures from SITURQ (Quintana Roo Tourism Information System), published monthly by SEDETUR*, give the most precise read on the market.
This article lays out the full 2025 year-end numbers, the historical trend since 2019, monthly seasonality patterns, the visitor profile and the first 2026 data — all with charts to visualize the trends that matter when deciding where to put capital.
2025 year-end: the biggest year in the history of the Mexican Caribbean
2025 cemented Quintana Roo as the most powerful tourism engine in Mexico and one of the highest-traffic destinations in Latin America. The year-end indicators set records across every category:
Historical trend: the fastest tourism recovery in the world
Tourism in Quintana Roo went through the biggest disruption in its history with the 2020 pandemic, but its recovery was faster than that of any comparable destination worldwide. By 2023 it had already passed its 2019 numbers, and in 2025 it exceeds them by a margin of +13.5%*:
The curve shows something important for the long-term investor: even in the worst possible year (2020, global pandemic), the destination held 7.2 million visitors — a demand floor no other beach destination in Mexico matched. Since 2022, growth has been sustained year after year, and industry projections point to clearing 22 million in 2027 once the Tren Maya reaches full operation.
Key data point for investors: the Riviera Maya passed Cancún in tourist arrivals for the first time in 2025 — 7.9 million vs. Cancún’s 7.2 million. This confirms the shift of the tourism center of gravity toward the Playa del Carmen–Tulum corridor, where the development opportunities of the next decade are concentrated.
Monthly seasonality: which months move the market
Hotel occupancy is not uniform across the year. Understanding the monthly pattern is critical to correctly size short-term rental projects, boutique hotels or residential developments with a lodging component:
The pattern shows three clearly distinct seasons:
- High season (Jan–Mar and Dec): occupancy above 80%. These are the months with the highest rates and the tightest availability. The North American traveler dominates; it is also when the most second-home real estate transactions happen.
- Shoulder season (Apr, Jun–Aug, Nov): between 67% and 77%. Domestic and Latin American tourism sustains demand. Mexican summer vacations keep July–August at high levels.
- Low season (May, Sep–Oct): between 52% and 64%. The market never drops to critical levels — even in September (hurricane season) occupancy stays above 52%, a marker of the destination’s structural base demand.
What this means for short-term rentals: a well-positioned project in the Riviera Maya can run at 65–75% average annual occupancy, with high-season rates 2.5–3× those of low season. Return calculators that assume flat occupancy systematically understate actual income.
Occupancy by destination: January 2026
January marks the start of high season. The January 2026 data shows how occupancy is distributed across the state’s main destinations*:
| Destination | Occupancy January 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cancún | 82.2% | |
| Puerto Morelos | 81.7% | |
| Costa Mujeres | 81.6% | |
| Isla Mujeres | 79.4% | |
| Riviera Maya | 79.4% | |
| Playa del Carmen | 77.1% | |
| Cozumel | 78.8% | |
| Tulum | 73.2% | |
| Holbox | 73.1% | |
Market mix: where the tourist comes from
The visitor profile has direct implications for which type of real estate product sees the strongest demand. In 2025, the mix by source market was*:
The combination of 64.4% identified international tourists with a 35.6% domestic market creates a diversified, resilient demand base. When North American tourism swings seasonally or on short-term conditions, the domestic and Latin American market cushions occupancy.
Average spend per tourist: the real economic value
Tourist volume matters, but spend per visitor defines the scale of the economic impact and the purchasing power feeding the real estate market. DATATUR and SEDETUR data* show a significant gap between the international and the domestic tourist:
A U.S. or Canadian tourist staying in the Riviera Maya for an average of 5 nights spends close to $1,200 USD per trip. That places Quintana Roo among the highest average-spend destinations in Latin America, compared with markets such as Punta Cana ($980 USD) or Los Cabos ($1,050 USD).
National comparison: Quintana Roo vs other destinations
To size up Quintana Roo’s lead within Mexico, comparing average annual hotel occupancy against the country’s main beach destinations is revealing*:
At 71.3% average annual occupancy, Quintana Roo leads the national ranking of sun-and-beach destinations for the third year running. The nearly 9-percentage-point gap over Puerto Vallarta is not marginal: in revenue per available room (RevPAR) terms, that gap translates into 15% to 22% more revenue for a hotel operator.
January 2026: the start of the year
The SITURQ January 2026 report compares the start of the year against the same period in 2025. The overall picture is positive, with some relevant nuances:
Mexican Caribbean, January 2026: 1,830,211 total tourists (+0.3% vs January 2025). The Riviera Maya received 728,782 tourists, of which Playa del Carmen accounted for 142,157. The moderate growth reflects an already historically high comparison base in January 2025.
January 2026 hotel occupancy: the numbers by destination
The Riviera Maya posted 79.4% occupancy in January — typically its highest-traffic month. Cancún led with 82.2%, while Tulum consolidates its growth at 73.2%, reflecting the higher-end hotel supply being developed along that corridor.
Air connectivity: 120 cities worldwide with direct flights
In January 2026, the Mexican Caribbean recorded direct connections with 120 cities around the world*:
- 45 U.S. cities — every major metro area, plus mid-size cities across the South and Midwest
- 21 Mexican cities — domestic connectivity expanding
- 19 Canadian cities — concentrated in the October–April season
- 19 European cities (12 countries) — with 8 new routes launched in 2025
- 16 Latin American cities (15 countries) — the fastest-growing segment in relative terms
This connectivity is the invisible infrastructure that underpins real estate value. No destination holds 79% hotel occupancy without a deep, diversified air network. The expansion of direct routes from Europe and LATAM reduces dependence on the North American market and widens the universe of potential property buyers in the area.
Cruises: the segment with the strongest growth
January 2026 was one of the best months on record for cruise tourism in Quintana Roo: 886,777 cruise visitors and crew (+8.7% vs January 2025)*.
The growth of cruise tourism has a delayed effect on the real estate market: cruise passengers who visit the destination frequently come back as overnight tourists or second-home buyers on a second or third trip. It is a conversion funnel that developers in Cozumel and along the Quintana Roo coast have identified as a key acquisition channel.
The takeaway for investors: a market with 20 million tourists a year, 71.3% sustained annual occupancy, 79% in high season and direct connections to 120 cities is the strongest demand argument that can back a real estate development project in the Riviera Maya. The data does not project — it records what has already happened, and the trend is unequivocally upward.
At Tierra Caribe we analyze every land opportunity against real demand from the tourism market. Occupancy by area, visitor profile and air connectivity are variables we weigh when evaluating the potential of each lot in our land bank.
I help developers and investors find land with real feasibility in Quintana Roo and Yucatán. I write about the market, regulation and the variables that move land value in southeast Mexico.