Quintana Roo professional chefs leave state due to low hotel occupancy

Low tourist occupancy in Quintana Roo has led to an estimated 30 to 50 professional chefs leaving the state to return to their home regions. Martín Rodríguez, president of Vatel Club Quintana Roo, reported that hotels and restaurants are reducing staff, suspending new hires, and implementing 'solidarity days' or mandatory vacations due to insufficient demand.

Despite Quintana Roo ranking second in Mexico for the number of chefs, only behind Mexico City, the lack of visitors has severely impacted job opportunities. Some displaced culinary professionals have reportedly turned to working as digital platform taxi drivers to make ends meet.

While some reports mention 'solidarity days,' Martín de la Cruz Gómez, General Secretary of the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers and Peasants (CROC) in Quintana Roo, clarified that these measures often involve hotel remodeling agreements or the use of accrued vacation time rather than illegal practices or direct dismissals.