The Mexican Caribbean could close 2024 with only 2% growth in terms of tourist arrivals to its destinations.
The justification for this poor increase is due to international competition from other destinations, the elections and the problems faced by airlines due to the overhaul of Pratt & Whitney engines, they argued from Mexico.
Andrés Martínez, current director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, has reported that what is intended in the Mexican Caribbean this year, with such relevant destinations as Cancún, Riviera Maya, Tulum and Cozumel, is to exceed the tourist arrivals that were recorded in 2023, when 21 million arrived.
Martínez, in local media, explained that ‘our latest forecast is to grow 2%, but this year to tie is to win and our most drastic scenario points to -2%; many flights are still being rescheduled. This year is very challenging due to the global air crisis because it was an election year for Mexico and it will be for the United States as well, and because it was a year of many summer events such as the Euro Cup and the Olympic Games, there we compete for travel budgets. This is not new in Quintana Roo, we have gone through these cycles all the time.
In the first half of 2024, up to 5.8 million domestic passengers arrived at Cancun International Airport, 13.6% less than the 6.7 million received in that period in 2023.
As regards the international sphere, 13 million users were received, 0.6% more than the 12.9 million in 2023.
Thus, Martínez has acknowledged that ‘you get to go to Europe once every four or five years, but a beach vacation is more frequent. They are different dynamics and what we are doing is increasing the hotel offer, now there is a new airport like the one in Tulum, the Mayan Train and new entertainment activities. We have a product that goes to all levels. We have hotels from two stars to Grand Tourism.
Looking ahead to the second half of 2024, flights will open that will encourage demand. Such is the case of the Brazilian Gol, operating from Brasilia and Cancun; Discover, between Frankfurt and Tulum; Sunwing, from Toronto to Tulum, or Air Canada, from Toronto and Montreal to Cancun.
Source: expreso.info
