Terrified tourists fled for their lives as four assassins gunned down a man outside a luxury five-star resort in Cancun.

The victim, identified only as a 30-year-old Mexican national, was shot on Wednesday morning outside Hotel Riu, forcing travellers to cower inside. 

After firing multiple shots, the assassins fled the scene, with two leaving on awaiting jet skis and two running away on foot.

Guests ran for cover as the men carried out the targeted attack before attempting to evade police, Turquesa News reported.

The outlet reported the victim was allegedly in charge of the jet skis the suspects used to flee. 

Footage from the aftermath shows concerned guests wandering around the $1000-a-night lobby awaiting instruction from officials. 

Others were seen on camera inside the resort in panic, with some calling loved ones, screaming and rushing to get inside with their beach gear.

Law enforcement are exploring the possibility that this homicide could be related to drug trafficking and cartel-related crimes.

Hotel Riu released a statement that the dead man was not a guest or employee at their hotel, Riviera Maya News reported.

Police have not identified the deceased man, but paramedics confirmed he was dead at the scene. 

One of the four gunmen took off after shots were fired and ran through the beach area of the hotel's neighboring Dreams Hotel.  

Witnesses said the suspect was wearing dark Bermuda shorts and a black shirt. 

The US State Department lists Mexico at a tier two advisory level - meaning tourists should exercise increased caution when travelling. 

'While Mexican authorities endeavor to safeguard the country’s major resort areas and tourist destinations, those areas have not been immune to the types of violence and crime experienced elsewhere in Mexico.

'In some areas of Mexico, response time of local police is often slow. In addition, filing police reports can be time consuming. 

'Increased levels of cartel-related violence have resulted in territorial disputes and targeted killings, injuring or killing innocent bystanders.'

This shooting happened two months after a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed after gunmen riding jet skis opened fire on a rival drug dealers on a beach in Cancún, Mexico.

The child, who was identified as Santiago, was with his family sitting on a chair at Caracol Beach next to the Riu Cancún when he was struck by multiple stray bullets on July 29.

Santiago was treated on the scene by paramedics and rushed to an area hospital, where he later died.