Tourism in Quintana Roo did not stop on Monday, even after violent incidents in parts of the state and elsewhere in Mexico on Sunday. Officials say airports, hotels, schools, and major transport services are running normally, while security presence remains elevated. For residents and visitors in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Tulum, the day looks mostly routine on the surface. The key difference is what is happening around it: more patrols, tighter monitoring, and a stronger official focus on keeping order.
Tourism operations continue, but security is more visible
Quintana Roo began Monday, February 23, 2026, with a dual message from authorities: tourism activity is continuing, and security has been reinforced across the state. State officials said the permanent security coordination table remains active and that more than 10,000 federal, state, and municipal personnel are deployed. They also said schools, hospitals, airports, highways, ports, and government offices are operating normally. That message followed Sunday’s violence linked to events outside the state, which also produced incidents in Quintana Roo. State authorities confirmed isolated vehicle burnings in several municipalities and damage to a store in Cozumel, while reporting arrests tied to the incidents. They also said no civilians were reported injured. In Playa del Carmen, the municipal government said it maintained a permanent deployment and reported no new overnight incidents between Sunday night and early Monday. Officials there also described a visible local response that includes ground units and aerial patrol support.
Airports and hotels show a normal tourism day
The tourism side of the picture remains active, based on the numbers released Monday. Officials reported 601,108 tourists lodged across the 12 destinations that make up the Mexican Caribbean at the close of the week. Hotel occupancy was in the 90 to 95 percent range, indicating high demand in the main destinations. Air traffic also remained strong for the day. Authorities reported 602 scheduled operations across Quintana Roo’s four international airports. Cancún carried most of that activity with 556 movements, while Cozumel reported 18, Chetumal reported 6, and Tulum reported 22. The state government also said the four airports were operating normally and added that delays reported in some cases were tied to weather conditions in the United States, not to local security conditions. Officials also said ADO bus terminals and the Tren Maya were functioning as usual. For travelers, that means the core tourism network remained open even as security coverage expanded around it.
What this means for residents and visitors today
For expats, long-stay residents, and visitors, the practical takeaway is not that concerns disappeared, but that authorities are trying to contain disruption while keeping daily activity moving. Monday’s official updates describe a state in normal operation, not a state without tension. That distinction matters. Travelers may still notice a heavier police and military presence in strategic areas, especially near major roads, city access points, and tourism zones. In places like Playa del Carmen, local authorities said surveillance and patrol work is running around the clock. For anyone with plans in the Riviera Maya, the most useful approach is to treat this as a normal travel day under tighter monitoring. Check flight status directly with the airlines, allow extra time for transfers, and follow state or municipal updates rather than social media rumors. The state government also urged people to rely on official channels after false images and false reports circulated on Sunday. That guidance is especially relevant in fast-moving security situations.
