Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Miguel Torruco Marqués, recently announced that country welcomed over 36 million international visitors between January and July of this year. As destinations such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum continue to break visitor arrival records, this number will only grow. Mexico’s most popular beach destinations have witnessed an explosion of tourism this year as people flock to the area for a much-needed vacation after two years of the pandemic. While visitor numbers overall are still lower than 2019, the number of visitors to popular beach destinations like those below are breaking record after record this year.
Cancun
Cancun is America’s favorite pick for this fall. It’s no secret that it holds a special place in American travelers’ hearts. In 2019, Americans made up more than 50% of all international air arrivals to Cancun International Airport. This year that share is on track to increase significantly. Between January and June this year, Americans accounted for 59.8% of all international arrivals to Cancun International Airport. About 3.4 million Americans have already visited Cancun by air this year. Coming up, arrivals will likely jump during the high season this winter.
Cancun is aware of its popularity, and the growing popularity of destinations such as Playa del Carmen and Tulum. In response, Cancun International Airport has added over 9 million airline seats as it prepares for a record-breaking winter. This past August, Cancun set an all-time record for passenger arrivals to its airport.
For the long term, Mexico plans to complete the new Maya Train by December 2023. The train will connect to 18 different stops in 5 different Mexican states throughout the Yucatán Peninsula. The project will help meet the demand for tourists in the area. Additionally, it will likely make Cancun more popular than ever.
Playa del Carmen
About 45 minutes southwest of Cancun International Airport, Playa del Carmen has also grown in popularity. In fact, Playa del Carmen was so booked this summer, only 10% of its hotel rooms were available in mid-July. As more visitors plan for the fall and winter, occupancy rates will likely remain high. Sharing some of the glory with its neighboring beach destination, Playa del Carmen and Tulum recently broke all-time arrival records. Between June and August this year, the two cities received 822 thousand visitors, shattering their 2019 record of 625 thousand.
SuperboxTravel recently revealed the top 10 things travelers should know before visiting Playa del Carmen. Notably, for those interested in visiting long-term, monthly vacation rentals can be found as low as $400 USD per month. Visitors coming into Mexico are typically given a visa that will allow them to stay for up to 180 days, making long-term stays easier than ever.
Tulum
Tulum is about an hour and a half away from Cancun international airport and just under an hour from Playa del Carmen. As mentioned above, Tulum recently broke arrival records along with neighboring Playa del Carmen. Tulum has grown so much in popularity that Mexico has started to build Tulum’s own international airport to better serve the area. However, work was recently paused, and the project is no longer expected to be done by December 2023.
While Tulum has incredible beaches that will leave travelers dreaming of owning a beachfront villa, many travelers also head to Tulum to enjoy its close proximity to some of the most amazing ancient Mayan ruins known. The ruins are right along the beachfront and make for an incredible day trip off the resort.
Los Cabos
On the other side of the country, at the bottom of Baja California, lies Los Cabos, another beach destination that has seen significant growth. Recent reports state that Los Cabos International Airport has welcomed about 3.5 million passengers in the first six months of the year. This figure beats 2019’s numbers by 19%.
While Cancun and surrounding areas have had the spotlight for many years, Los Cabos is beginning to enter the fray. The area is one of the top three vacation spots in Mexico. Likewise, Los Cabos was the second favorite destination for this summer, after Cancun.
Mexico Is The Place To Go
The numbers don’t lie; Mexico is a leading destination and is well worth a visit. Recent reports state that Americans plan to travel far this fall, and their favorite international destination is Mexico. For travelers interested in visiting one of the beautiful beach destinations above, check out Travel Off Path’s 7 tips for stress-free travel to Mexico this fall HERE.
