Mexico's Tulum Going Down the Tubes

Back in December, I posted about the slow-motion disaster in Tulum, Mexico-- and it continues to spiral out of control.  Since that time, four people have been killed and others injured in three major shooting incidents since that time.

On January 13, 2022, a man was shot to death at the southern entrance to the Archaeological Zone of Tulum. Another person, a minor, was injured in the attack.  The victim, an adult male, was near the southern access point when he was approached around 2:00 p.m. by two men who shot him several times before fleeing. While those shots were being fired, a boy of around 11 or 12 years old was wounded.

On February 12, 2022, a taxi driver and two passengers were shot at when a car carrying the attacker pulled up beside the taxi and opened fire.  The taxi driver turned away from the shooter and was shot in the back-- she later died.  The two passengers were able to escape from the other side of the vehicle-- it is not known if they were injured.  

Two men have been shot dead and a third injured on February 20 after a group of gunmen opened fire at the Art Beach restaurant, which sits at the entrance to the hotel zone in the Mayan Riviera resort of Tulum.  The incident is believed to be linked to an ongoing feud between organised crime gangs operating in the area and diners at the upmarket eatery reported hearing at least 20 gunshots.

The place is getting ridiculously expensive too.  Passengers are reporting prices starting around 500 pesos ($24.35 USD) for a 5 kilometer ride. This is the best case scenario if you speak Spanish, know how to negotiate and have exact change in pesos. In comparison, the price of the same ride in New York City would cost $12.34 USD according to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. This means the cost of a taxi in Tulum is double the price of a Taxi in Manhattan. Same thing goes for drinks at a beach bar.  Tourists are paying around 300 pesos a drink in Tulum, but the same drink will cost only about 80 pesos in Playa del Carmen.

Maybe celebrities like Dua Lipa, Jennifer Aniston, Howard Stern, Jimmy Kimmel, Gigi Hadid, Diplo and Pink should stop instagramming to their fans about vacationing in such a crime-ridden dump.