Entrepreneurs from the south of the state say that in the last two months, fewer tourists choose to stay in traditional hotels, as they prefer Airbnb.
Quintana Roo, (October 19, 2021).- Hotels in the southern part of Quintana Roo lose up to 50 percent of their guests to accommodations through Airbnb or other digital platforms.
The Association of Hotels in the Center and South of the State considered that the occupancy went from 40 to only 23 percent. They are estimated to be at least four thousand rooms offered by digital platforms, so they are strong competition.
Bertha Medina Núñes de Cáceres, president of the association, explained that to counteract this affectation they are analyzing more promotional strategies to apply in the last two months of the year; such as special rates for groups of people or free nights, as well as for children under 12, such is the case of All-Inclusive.
She stressed that as the influx of accommodation is reduced, it means that income is also going down and that is 500 pesos per room, an average close to the rate of hotels in Othón P. Blanco and Bacalar, mainly.
In Quintana Roo there are 50 thousand rooms that are offered through Airbnb
She acknowledged that there is no exact number of how many rooms are offered through Airbnb and other digital platforms, but each home has the potential to be one because they are available spaces.
At the state level, there are approximately 50 thousand Airbnb units, according to information from the state Tourism Secretariat.
“Remember that Airbnb are illegal. In the Magical Towns at the national level, a lot, in the capital not so much, there is not much investment, the volume of the capital does not allow it to be really competitive, but in small towns it is a ‘pimple’ that has not been regularized. There are the same number of illegal establishments ”.
She mentioned that digital hosting platforms gained a lot of strength especially in Bacalar, as a tourist destination in development and with the potential to become one similar to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres; therefore, competition is more accentuated, as well as the negative impact on the formal sector.
The decrease is in the 4,200 rooms on average, which are in the south of the state; which corresponds to 2,900 rooms in Othón P. Blanco and 1,300 in Bacalar.
Source: Sipse
