United Airlines will end all service to Tulum, Mexico, in January 2027, the latest sign that one of the pandemic era’s most talked-about destinations is losing its heat.

United’s last flight from Newark departs January 2, 2027, and its Houston route ends January 4. Its Chicago and Los Angeles flights have already stopped.

How Tulum Became the Place to Be

When much of the world shut down in 2020, Mexico kept its borders open and did not require tests to enter, Bloomberg reported in 2022. Remote workers and vacationers fleeing lockdowns poured into Tulum’s beaches, beach clubs, and jungle hotels.

By 2022, tourism in the Tulum and Cancún area was running about 6% above 2019 levels, and more than 16,000 new hotel rooms had gone up in Quintana Roo in two years. “It’s getting to a state of crisis because it’s grown so fast,” local conservationist Gonzalo Merediz told the outlet at the time.

The town finally got its own airport. Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport opened in December 2023, and U.S. carriers including American, Delta, JetBlue, Spirit, and United launched flights in 2024, AFAR reported.

The Cooling Off

The demand did not keep up. Monthly flights from the U.S. and Canada peaked at more than 300 in July 2024 and fell to fewer than 30 this fall. It projects U.S. capacity will be down about 90% from that peak by next summer.

The airport handled 585,540 passengers from January through August 2026, down 33.7% from a year earlier, and hotel occupancy fell to 42.3% in September from 72.7% a year before.

Airlines say it’s oversupply. An American Airlines network executive told the Thrifty Traveler the industry added “too much capacity to absorb all at once.”

United is not alone. Aeroméxico stopped flying to Tulum on September 30. Volaris leaves January 7, 2027, and American will drop Miami on January 5, keeping only Dallas-Fort Worth. Delta continues to serve Atlanta.

Tulum is not closing. Most visitors will simply land in Cancún, about two hours north by car, as they did before the new airport opened.

For travelers who skipped Tulum at the height of the hype, fewer crowds and softer hotel demand could mean better value. It is worth booking flexible fares and confirming any Tulum flight before the January cutoffs.

For now, Tulum is shifting from must-see to a quieter choice. For the traveler who wants the beach without the crowds, that may be the best time to go.