Tulum was once an off-the-grid backpacker town on the Yucatan Peninsula where life moved slowly. The coastal town was quiet, filled with dirt roads and stretches of white sand against the backdrop of turquoise waters. The real luxury in this modest beach town was found in its natural beauty and history, as it’s home to some of the most important Mayan archaeological sites in the world.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tulum thrived with digital nomads and travelers who controversially found community as the virus wreaked havoc worldwide. Mexico’s relaxed borders and quarantine requirements made it a hotspot for travelers and expats alike. Inarguably, there was no other destination in Mexico that benefited from explosive growth like Tulum.
A Shifting Tourism Tide In Tulum
Anyone with a social media account knows that Tulum was portrayed as a beach-chic, glamorous, and carefree place that was affordable and safe, especially when compared to its northern neighbor in 2020. Americans were dealing with record inflation and a significant racial reckoning following a series of high-profile police killings of Black Americans. It prompted a Blaxit movement from the U.S. Many Black Americans reported feeling safer in other countries and found community in groups such as Black in Tulum.
However, the once undiscovered gem became a victim of overtourism, and problems inevitably arose. The town, with an average population of about 46,000, became chaotic and overcrowded, as locals were being pushed out by rapid growth and rising prices. Tulum experienced unprecedented growth without adequate infrastructure, which ultimately led to a paradox of “luxury tourism” and the lack of basic services.
With Tulum’s boom, Mexican officials announced the construction of a new airport in Tulum to address overcrowding at Cancún International Airport, improve access, and boost local tourism and the economy. But as travelers note on social media, Tulum is empty. It’s unrecognizable and a juxtaposition from even two years ago. Beaches and restaurants appear to be empty during Mexico’s high season.
@one.million.bites Is Tulum out of fashion?🤔 #tulum #tulummexico #ghosttown #streetfood #dessert #empty #mexicotravel #hotelzone #foodporn #foodblogger #onemillionbites ♬ original sound – One Million Bites
It comes as no surprise to some visitors who say the town’s beachfront restaurants, beach clubs, food, and taxi rides are overpriced. Summer 2025 marked one of the worst travel seasons in Tulum in the last decade. In some reports, the city averaged just 40% hotel occupancy, and in some cases, the downtown area reportedly reached a 15% occupancy rate.
“This is not a game, nor political maneuvering. Tulum is experiencing its worst tourism crisis, compounded by sargassum during the worst tourist season in its history,” Jorge Portillo Mánica, the seventh councilor of Tulum’s municipal government, told Riviera Mayan News. “The situation is heartbreaking. It’s terrible.”
While Mánica and other officials attribute the decline to sargassum and the significant drop in flight occupancy at Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport, rising costs, reports of extortion, and safety concerns have also become issues, especially among the community that was pivotal in the town’s popularity: Black in Tulum.
Black In Tulum Abruptly Shuts Down
In a move that sent shockwaves throughout the Black expat and travel community, Black In Tulum founder Nubia Younge announced she was closing the group “effective immediately” in July. Younge said the breaking point was escalating threats and extortion that she and her team faced beyond their control, despite five years of building an inclusive and safe space for the global Black community.
“We weren’t just an Instagram, Facebook Page, or an events platform. We were proof that Black travelers could be seen, safe, and show up in another country and feel like we had community,” Younge tells Travel Noire.
Some of the most unforgettable moments for Younge were watching and hearing from Black people who were initially nervous about traveling, to feel a sense of safety in Mexico just by knowing there was a Black expat community present.
“Our people came and fell in love with Mexico, launched businesses, and brought money into Mexico’s economy,” says Younge. “The community that helped grow [Tulum] is now gone. We were a doorway that gave access, safety, representation, and integrity to all things Tulum, just for it to be taken away by its own people.”
Other Reports Of Extortion, Threats
Younge’s accounts are not anomalies for travelers, especially Black travelers. TikTok user @dollfacenenee shared a harrowing account of how she and her friends were robbed at gunpoint and extorted by Mexican police during her bachelorette weekend.
NeNe says police pulled her and her party, who were riding in an eight-seater suburban, over. The officer threatened to tow their truck and put all the women in jail if they didn’t pay anywhere between $500 and $1,000. The driver was the TikTok user’s sister-in-law, who spoke enough Spanish. She reportedly tried giving the officer $60 before he told her that it wasn’t enough.
@dollfacenenee the last thing we thought would happen, happened! #tulum #traveltiktok ♬ original sound – NENE 💛 | 2026 BRIDE 💍
She goes on to say police officers popped the trunk of the car, took all of their wallets and all the cash they had, which amounted to a little more $200. Officers also took her phone and made her delete all the videos she took of her recording the police stop.
In a TikTok video from chaowilliams2, the user says he was minutes away from his Airbnb when police stopped him at a checkpoint. Williams, who says he travels to Tulum frequently, was forced to take a breathalyzer, which blew 1.0 despite him having only one drink. He says the police officer took the $300 from his wallet and told him he saved him $1,000 and a trip to jail.
Is Tulum Even Worth It At This Point?
Younge said she didn’t decide to shut down Black in Tulum lightly, but it was necessary. After a wonderful five years, she is moving on from Tulum and working on a “novice to nomad” course program for aspiring expats. She’s also nurturing other projects she launched simultaneously with Black in Tulum (Black in Travel and Black Card Elite) that she hopes will build cohesiveness in the Black travel space.
When asked if Tulum is dead, Younge believes that it had a good run but has now run its course.
“Tulum had a lot of opportunities that they have unfortunately missed out on,” she shares. “They allowed themselves to chase ultra luxury versus what Tulum has always been about, which is nature, the jungle, and Mayan culture.”
She says if leaders learn from their mistakes, address safety concerns, and invest in responsible and sustainable tourism, Tulum could bounce back within the next five years. Still, for travelers who plan to visit Tulum, she advises going with awareness, not fear.
“Continue to do your research and support ethical local businesses.”
Regarding safety, the best thing people can do is to avoid renting a car or Airbnb, stay in a resort, book resort-approved transfers, or hire a private driver. When out, only carry copies of your official documents to avoid confiscation. Pay by card when it’s available and limit the amount of cash you take on the excursion. Learning vital phrases in Spanish could also go a long way in emergencies.
Travel Noire reached out to Mexico’s tourism board for comment, but has not yet received a response.
