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Seaside Town Expecting A Massive Influx Of Tourists Over The Holiday Period From Europe And The US
Cancun is expecting around 200 thousand tourists a day over the duration of Easter week. The numbers estimated that the town will be over 95% occupancy for the entire period of time.
High numbers have been anticipated for the region for the last month or so, but several global events have put even more of a focus on Cancun and the surrounding area. Previously, figures have suggested that over 3 million visitors would pass through Cancun over the Easter and Spring break season. The new projections for Easter will most likely see the city exceed the original figures.
President of the local hoteliers, Abelardo Vara Rivera, expressed his excitement at the coming holiday, saying
“The truth is, it’s going to be sensational for us. Cancun is going to be practically 100% occupied. It is already overcrowded and sold out of reservations with occupations. The projection in the hotel zone is that we are going to be between 95 and 100%, and from 80 to 85% in the city. Everyone wants to come to Cancun, the fact that there are no trips in Europe now, due to the situation that we all know is benefiting us.”
Interestingly, a large percentage of those expected to arrive will be Europeans. Typically, Americans make up the largest chunk of tourists the Cancun and the surrounding area. But Easter is an interesting time, as Europeans get more time off than the US does, there is typically a larger influx in transatlantic arrivals.
This year, world events are having an even bigger impact. The current crisis involving Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having ripple effects across the travel industry. Americans are proving to be less inclined to travel outside of the country overall, even if it is only to Mexico, while Europeans are trying to head the opposite direction from the instability and nay potential problems faced in that area.
With that said, Cancun is still anticipating extremely large amounts of Americans, it is only in comparison to normal figures that they are dwindling.
Cancun has enjoyed a tremendous year or so. The pandemic shut down vast portions of the travel industry worldwide as countries shut their borders and brought in tough restrictions. Mexico went a different direction, choosing to remain open to anyone, regardless of vaccination status, and without requiring any pre or post-arrival testing. The only restriction that was briefly in place was a basic health form that was subsequently removed.
Mexico’s relaxed stance catapulted Cancun from a popular destination to one of the most sought-after destinations on the planet, rivaled only by major cities like Dubai and London. The end of 2021 saw a phenomenal return to form as internal restrictions were dropped, and millions flooded through the city to enjoy a winter break.
But the great success enjoyed over the Christmas and New Year period left a huge surge in infections as the fast-spreading Omicron variant took hold. Restaurants, bars, and hotels lost as much as half of their staff at any one time to positive tests, and restrictions were brought back.
The surge left Quintana Roo in the yellow zone on Mexico’s epidemiological traffic light system for weeks, before a two-week drop into orange. These levels meant most establishments could only function at severely reduced capacities, although many hotels were given special dispensation to continue.
But now, the state is back in green, and not expected to go down again. It is expected that public usage of masks will no longer be required in the coming weeks, and with no other major restrictions, it will be business as usual for most of Quintana Roo.
Those hoping to visit Cancun during this period should ensure they prebook any excursions, restaurants, or other activities that may fill up quickly. With so many extra bodies in the region, tourists should expect things to be sold out.
Continually checking for any restrictions in both Mexico and the departing country is also important to ensure there are no sudden changes.
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