Mexico is a country every American traveler will have visited at least once in their lives.
It’s their direct neighbor to the south, making it a convenient spot to travel to, where they are welcomed with open arms and lower prices, and the warm weather just makes it impossible to resist.
This year, it is expecting a record-breaking 42.5 million guests, a majority of which will be coming from the United States, and besides Mexico’s long-standing reputation as the cultural center of the Latin World, this fresh surge in popularity is attributed to further developments on the tourism front.
Mexico’s Tourism Reinassance is in full swing, and these are 7 of the main reasons why it will continue being America’s favorite sunny getaway in 2024:
A New Scenic Train In The Country’s Most Scenic Peninsula Has Just Been Launched
Perhaps the biggest tourism project to have launched in recent years, the Maya Train is revolutionizing travel across the Caribbean states, not only connecting and improving the livelihoods of local communities but bringing tourists closer to the trendy beach towns and historical sites.
From this Summer onward, when all lines are expected to be up and running, tourists landing in Cancun will be able to travel to the world-famous archaeological site in Tulum, the turquoise-colored Lake Bacalar, and other beautiful colonial towns that were previously only accessible by road.
In sum, Americans will soon have more autonomy in planning multi-city trips in Mexico: other than being a safer, faster transport, the train could help erode the local taxi monopoly, and encourage local tour providers advertising day trips out of Cancun to reduce prices to retain customers.
A New Airport Serving The Trendiest Beach Town
The next major development that’s drawing Americans to Mexico is the opening of a brand new airport in Tulum, with affordable flights linking key U.S. hubs, such as New York, Chicago and Houston, to the trendiest beach zone in the Caribbean.
Home to the postcard view most commonly associated with the Mexican Caribbean – the iconic Mayan ruins perched on clifftops, overlooking a crystal-clear sea – Tulum relied almost exclusively on Cancun International Airport, which is a two-hour drive away, to host incoming guests.
Now, American vacationers desperate for some winter sun can fly nonstop to the rapidly-developing Mayan town without paying exorbitant landside transfer fees upon arriving to Cancun, and more routes keep getting added as demand grows.
Hurricane-Hit Acapulco Is Expected To Make A Comeback This Year
Last year, Hurricane Otis wreaked havoc upon Acapulco, a traditional resort town in the Mexican Pacific famous for its high-rise buildings, long miles of sandy beaches, and riotous nightlife, littering the boardwalk, closing down hotels, and essentially putting the brakes on tourism.
According to a new report issued by the Mexican Government, though damage from the event has been significant, the community is approaching a full recovery, with reconstruction underway, health brigades already done with most of the cleaning, and tourist services having resumed.
4,534 rooms are already available for booking out of 127 hotels, equaling to roughly 45% of the total occupancy, and lucky for incoming tourists, a majority of those centered around the upscale Zonas Tradicional and Dorada.
Americans Are Hungrier For Culture, And There’s No Better Place To Find It Than Mexico
Unlike the United States, where remnants of the original English colonies, or even traces of more distant civilizations are hard to come by, Mexico is littered with historical sites, with every major city featuring colonial zones, and over 200 Mayan and Aztec sites scattered around the territory.
This cultural wealth makes it inherently fascinating to Americans, who in their vast majority will have never set foot inside 500-year-old cathedrals, climbed step pyramids, admired traditional architecture, nor come into contact with any ancient culture whatsoever.
This year, Mexican authorities have made great strides in highlighting the country’s invaluable and diverse heritage, including the establishment of a Gastronomic Corridor in the colonial heart of storied Merida and reviving historical settlements through their ‘Pueblos Magicos‘ initiative.
There’s never been a better time to take a plunge into Mexican History than now, when colonial tourism is at its peak and new exciting archaeological discoveries are on the horizon: just last year, four unheard-of Mayan ruins opened to the general public for the first time ever.
2024 Is The Year Inland Mexico Gets The Attention It Deserves
Speaking of lesser-known gems, Americans have never felt as encouraged to go off-path and be more adventurous when traveling than they are now, with a growing number of them actively seeking more meaningful experiences when going abroad.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s inland cities like Guadalajara, a highly reputed foodie hotspot, Campeche, dominated by striking Spanish-era landmarks, and Puebla, with its colorful townscape, exotic markets, and ethnic barrios that are at the front of the ‘deep Mexico’ revival.
Cancun and Cabo are great for a winter break, but they are hardly representative of the Latino heartland of Mexico, and tourists are starting to wake up to the fact that there is an entire country to be discovered beyond their favorite, overdeveloped resort towns.
More Than 700 Daily Flights To Mexico From The U.S.
Of course, we couldn’t discuss Mexico’s record-breaking levels of tourism heading into 2024 without bringing up connectivity: as stated in the very first paragraph of this article, it is a no-brainer thanks to the geographical proximity with the U.S. and multiple flight options.
Irrespective of where they live and fly out from, Mexico is the most accessible vacation for the average American traveler, as there are over 700 daily flights scheduled between the United States and Mexico, and every international Stateside airport has links to the Latin American giant.
Due to the wide availability of flights, predatory pricing practices between different airlines, and the year-round demand, airfares can be quite affordable, too: according to booking platform Kayak, there are Mexico-bound flights departing from the United States for as cheap as $127 one-way.
Mexico Is Safer Than Most Latin American Countries
Finally, one of the main reasons why Mexico is poised for a further surge in popularity in 2024 is the reinforced safety. While other Latin American countries have slid into a downward spiral of violence in recent months, the AMLO-led nation has remained relatively stable.
Popular tourist zones, particularly along the Mayan Coast, are surveilled day and night by tourist battalions, a majority of Mexican states have been issued a Level 2 classification by U.S. authorities, meaning crime levels are only moderate, and very few visitors are affected by crime.
Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan, is considered one of the safest cities in the American continent, and Cancun is easily the most tourist-friendly areas in the Caribbean: as long as they practice general safety advice, Americans have nothing to worry about.
General safety advice involves avoiding displaying unnecessary signs of wealth in public, such as wearing expensive jewelry or taking out large sums of cash, sticking to well-lit, frequented areas after sundown, and staying away from peripheral districts.
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