Earlier this month, we talked about the rising demand within Riviera Maya tourism and Mexican tourism as a whole. A certified tourism boom over the last few years has seen pressure put onto resorts, hotels and vacation rentals to supply world-class hospitality. Virgin investors have profited from this boom by investing in high ROI vacation rentals, and have somewhat eased the demand.
However, the tourists have not been abated and pressure has lead to an increase in vacation costs for people traveling to top-rated destinations such as Playa Del Carmen (currently Mexico’s #1 destination). Not to fear, despite rising costs, Riviera Maya tourism is expecting to receive up to 40,000 visitors per day during the summer months of July and August!
Riviera Maya Tourism: Low-Season
While occupancy rates within the Riviera Maya stay consistently high year round (70+%), this sizzling slice of the Mexican Caribbean still has a ‘low-season.’ High-season is considered to be from December through to March/April, low-season is generally considered to include the summer months of May-September. This time of year includes rainier months, as well as a fair dose of sweltering humidity. No wonder it’s supposed to be a bit quieter.
Summer Vacation
Despite the heat and humidity, Riviera Maya tourism does experience a ‘summer vacation’ period that runs from July 8th to August 13th. This is primarily due to school vacation and sees an influx of national and international visitors make their way to the Riviera Maya for some much needed downtime.
Riviera Maya Tourism: Summer 2017 Stats
We’re now well into the summer vacation period for Riviera Maya tourism. And the figures look FANTASTIC. Firstly, the General Directorate of Solidarity Tourism believes the hotel occupancy rate will exceed 90 percent over the coming weeks. This represents impressive high-season figures.
Moreover, the Tourist Promotion Trust of the Riviera Maya and Cozumel (FPTRMyC) has released official occupancy figures for this period. Statistics have shown that hotel occupancy in Playacar alone is already at 92.1 percent.
Overall, Playa del Carmen’s current occupancy rate is at 84.9%. Boutique hotels are currently reporting occupancy rates of 69%. While the all-inclusive hotels are now at 90.9%.
Rocío Ocampo Colmenares, Head of Solidaridad Tourism, anticipates up to 40,000 visitors per day in Playa Del Carmen and Tulum. This equates to an excess of 1.6 billion peso in Riviera Maya tourism revenue. Ocampo Colmenares has commented:
“The tourist dynamic of our municipality shows that the flow of visitors, national and international, favor Playa del Carmen. In June of this year, there was an increase of 3.7 percentage points compared to 2016, even taking into account that we have 2,087 more rooms.”
What This Means for Vacation Rental Owners
Typically, investors in vacation rentals understand that they will generate most of their ROI within a short period each year. The high-season. However, Riviera Maya tourism is redefining what the ‘low-season’ means.
If you invest in a vacation rental in the Riviera Maya, you’re not only looking at an annual property appreciation between 9-12%. Or indeed, a few ‘bonus’ percentile from rentals. Vacation rentals alone can generate ROI as high as 8%.
Riviera Maya tourism is only on the up. With the low-season itself generating high-season figures, there’s no rest for the wicked in paradise. Investors in vacation rentals are set to profit from this tourism boom, as long as they strike while the iron is hot.
