Palenque’s recent tourism figures show a destination with roughly 2,070 available hotel rooms per day and occupancy that generally ranged from the high 20s to the low 40s percent. Visitor counts at the Zona Arqueológica de Palenque with museum varied substantially by month in 2024, from 21,500 in December to 301,381 in May.
Contents
- Hotel capacity at a glance
- Occupancy through 2024
- The 2024 year-end position
- Early 2025 hotel indicators
- Archaeological-site visitors by month
- What the figures mean for trip planning
Hotel capacity at a glance
The Datatur monthly reports describe Palenque’s accommodation market using average daily available rooms, average daily occupied rooms, and occupancy. These are hotel-market measures rather than a count of every lodging unit in the destination. The measurement period is important: the January figures are for that month, while later 2024 reports are cumulative through the date shown.
In January 2024, Palenque had 2,064 average daily available hotel rooms in one Datatur comparison and 2,068 in another reported January figure. The same January material lists 2,064 rooms for January 2023. The reported January 2024 occupied-room figures were 612 and 688, while January 2023 had 709 average daily occupied rooms. The corresponding occupancy figures were 29.7% and 33.3% for January 2024, compared with 34.4% for January 2023 (Datatur, 2024-MES_01_Publico.pdf).
The January comparisons also show how small capacity changes can coexist with larger changes in demand. Average daily available rooms changed by 0 rooms versus 2022 and by 4 rooms versus 2023 in the reported comparisons. Average daily occupied rooms changed by 97 rooms versus 2022 and by -21 rooms versus 2023. Occupancy changed by 4.7 percentage points versus 2022 and by -1.1 points versus 2023 (Datatur, 2024-MES_01_Publico.pdf).
By February 29, 2024, the report listed 2,064 average daily available rooms in 2022, 2,066 in 2023, and 2,071 in 2024. Average daily occupied rooms were 632, 719, and 757, respectively. Occupancy was 30.6% in 2022, 34.8% in 2023, and 36.5% in 2024 (Datatur, 2024-MES_02_Publico.pdf).
| Datatur period | Available rooms: 2022 / 2023 / 2024 | Occupied rooms: 2022 / 2023 / 2024 | Occupancy: 2022 / 2023 / 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through Feb. 29, 2024 | 2,064 / 2,066 / 2,071 | 632 / 719 / 757 | 30.6% / 34.8% / 36.5% |
| Through July 31, 2024 | 2,068 / 2,065 / 2,072 | 686 / 738 / 763 | 33.2% / 35.8% / 36.8% |
| Through Nov. 30, 2024 | 2,067 / 2,066 / 2,074 | 721 / 724 / 754 | 34.9% / 35.1% / 36.4% |
| Through Dec. 31, 2024 | 2,066 / 2,066 / 2,073 | 731 / 730 / 762 | 35.4% / 35.3% / 36.8% |
Occupancy through 2024
The cumulative Datatur figures show a gradual increase in 2024 occupancy from the February measurement to the year-end measurement. Through July 31, 2024, Palenque had 2,068 available rooms in 2022, 2,065 in 2023, and 2,072 in 2024. Occupied-room averages were 686, 738, and 763, while occupancy was 33.2%, 35.8%, and 36.8% (Datatur, 2024-MES_07_Publico.pdf).
The July report’s comparisons put the 2024 change in context. Average daily available rooms were 3 below 2022 and 7 above 2023. Average daily occupied rooms were 53 above 2022 and 24 above 2023. Occupancy rose 2.6 percentage points versus 2022 and 1.1 points versus 2023 (Datatur, 2024-MES_07_Publico.pdf).
Through November 30, 2024, available-room averages were 2,067 in 2022, 2,066 in 2023, and 2,074 in 2024. Occupied-room averages were 721, 724, and 754, and occupancy stood at 34.9%, 35.1%, and 36.4% (Datatur, 2024-MES_11_Publico.pdf). The report recorded 1 fewer available room than 2022 and 8 more than 2023. Occupied rooms were 3 above 2022 and 30 above 2023, while occupancy was up 0.2 points versus 2022 and 1.3 points versus 2023 (Datatur, 2024-MES_11_Publico.pdf).
These figures describe a relatively stable supply base. Across the four cumulative comparisons, the 2024 available-room average stayed between 2,071 and 2,074 rooms. The occupied-room average moved from 757 through February 29 to 763 through July 31, then measured 754 through November 30. Occupancy measured 36.5%, 36.8%, and 36.4% at those three points, respectively (Datatur, 2024-MES_02_Publico.pdf; 2024-MES_07_Publico.pdf; 2024-MES_11_Publico.pdf).
The 2024 year-end position
Through December 31, 2024, Palenque had 2,066 average daily available rooms in both 2022 and 2023, and 2,073 in 2024. Average daily occupied rooms were 731 in 2022, 730 in 2023, and 762 in 2024. Occupancy was 35.4%, 35.3%, and 36.8%, respectively (Datatur, 2024-MES_12_Publico.pdf).
The year-end comparison shows 0 change in available rooms versus 2022 and 7 more rooms versus 2023. Average daily occupied rooms were 1 below 2022 and 32 above 2023. Occupancy changed by -0.1 percentage points versus 2022 and by +1.4 points versus 2023 (Datatur, 2024-MES_12_Publico.pdf).
For trip planning, the year-end numbers provide a useful baseline rather than a guarantee for any individual date. They indicate that Palenque’s measured hotel supply was close to 2,073 average daily rooms in 2024, while the measured occupancy rate was 36.8% through December 31. Actual availability for a particular property, weekend, holiday, or event can differ from this destination-level average.
Early 2025 hotel indicators
The first two 2025 Datatur comparisons provide a shorter-term view. Through January 19, 2025, Palenque had 2,065 average daily available rooms in 2023, 2,068 in 2024, and 2,070 in 2025. Average daily occupied rooms were 658, 839, and 1,113. Occupancy was 27.6%, 32.6%, and 41.6% (Datatur, 2025_Semana_03.pdf).
For that January 19 measurement, available rooms were 101 above 2023 and 2 above 2024. Occupied rooms were 182 above 2023 and 273 above 2024. Occupancy rose 8.3 percentage points versus 2023 and 16.2 points versus 2024 (Datatur, 2025_Semana_03.pdf).
Through February 23, 2025, available-room averages were 2,066 in 2023, 2,071 in 2024, and 2,072 in 2025. Occupied-room averages were 717, 753, and 742. Occupancy was 34.7%, 36.4%, and 35.8% (Datatur, 2025_Semana_08.pdf). The report recorded 6 more available rooms than 2023 and 1 more than 2024. Occupancy changed by +1.6 percentage points versus 2023 and -0.6 points versus 2024 (Datatur, 2025_Semana_08.pdf).
The two early-2025 snapshots therefore differ materially in measured demand: 1,113 occupied rooms and 41.6% occupancy through January 19, versus 742 occupied rooms and 35.8% occupancy through February 23. They are separate measurement periods and should not be treated as a single continuous forecast.
Archaeological-site visitors by month
INAH open data on visitors to archaeological zones recorded 2024 visitors to the Zona Arqueológica de Palenque with museum at the following monthly levels: 171,714 in January, 92,225 in February, 167,821 in March, 102,093 in April, 301,381 in May, and 107,507 in June.
The later months recorded 213,748 visitors in July, 59,921 in August, 136,553 in September, 38,061 in October, 128,384 in November, and 21,500 in December (INAH, open data on visitors to archaeological zones).
| Month in 2024 | Visitors recorded |
|---|---|
| January | 171,714 |
| February | 92,225 |
| March | 167,821 |
| April | 102,093 |
| May | 301,381 |
| June | 107,507 |
| July | 213,748 |
| August | 59,921 |
| September | 136,553 |
| October | 38,061 |
| November | 128,384 |
| December | 21,500 |
The INAH extract also shows additional 2024 month values of 283,472 in March, 23,102 in August, 10,528 in September, 11,295 in October, 13,908 in November, 11,632 in December, and 23,946 in the final 2024 month values shown in the extract. These are retained as separately displayed values from the INAH open-data extract; the extract does not provide enough context here to reconcile them with the monthly series above (INAH, open data on visitors to archaeological zones).
What the figures mean for trip planning
The hotel data supports three practical observations. First, measured daily room supply was steady: the 2024 cumulative reports placed it between 2,071 and 2,074 rooms, and the early-2025 comparisons placed it between 2,070 and 2,072. Second, occupancy was not constant. The reported 2024 cumulative rates ranged from 29.7% in one January figure to 36.8% through July and December, while the January 19, 2025 comparison reached 41.6%.
Third, archaeological-site visitation varied more sharply by month than room supply. The 2024 INAH monthly series ranged from 21,500 visitors in December to 301,381 in May. That spread matters when choosing dates: a monthly visitor statistic describes the site’s recorded visitation for that period, not the number of hotel guests on a particular night.
When comparing sources, keep the geography and measure attached to each number. Datatur figures refer to Palenque hotel indicators and specify average daily rooms or occupancy for a stated period. INAH figures refer to visitors to the Zona Arqueológica de Palenque with museum. Neither series alone measures total tourism, all overnight stays, or future demand.