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Tourism Boards Building Closer Ties Between Quintana Roo and Canada
Cancun and Quintana Roo can anticipate a strong surge in Canadian tourism as the country’s tourism board helped forge ties between the two regions. The meetings suggest a strong possibility of an increase in flights to Cancun.
The meeting, which took place in Vancouver, Canada, was part of a broader project by Mexican tourism called Operation Knock on Doors. The Secretary of Tourism for Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, led the proceedings by drawing attention to the wealth of tourist attractions that Mexico, in particular, Quintana Roo, has available to Canadian tourists.
Highlighting projects like the Maya Train, which will change the face of tourism in the Yucatan peninsula, Marques spent a considerable amount of energy convincing Canadian tourism leaders of the value of further investment in the region.
Canada is currently the second-largest market for Cancun and Mexico as a whole but lags considerably behind the US which dominates tourism to the region. Tourist rates have been rising in recent years, and have already recovered to pre-pandemic figures from across Canada. More than 2 million Canadian passengers have traveled or are traveling to Cancun this year, injecting almost 2 and a half-billion dollars into the Quintana Roo tourist industry.
But the new developments are hoping to increase that. Several airlines were approached about the possibility of adding new direct routes to Cancun, like so many others across the world are doing. Although no new routes were announced in the immediate aftermath of the meeting, it is hoped that Quintana Roo will see an uptick in the next year.
As Tulum’s new airport approaches completion in 2024, more opportunities for flights to the region will emerge, adding somewhere in the realm of four million new passengers a year to the state on top of everything that comes through Cancun International Airport.
Toronto alone sends over one hundred flights a month directly to Cancun, but the next busiest route is from Montreal and only sends 68. Compare those figures to the most popular US destinations and there is a massive difference.
The state is building its infrastructure to help turn it into a world-class destination that draws interest from all around the world. Currently, even Europeans are showing heightened interest in the Mexican Caribbean, a strong sign that even more Canadians can be converted.
The addition of the Maya Train is set to transform the gave of tourism in Quintana Roo and beyond. In theory, the arrival of the railway system could attract an entirely new demographic of tourists. Most people visiting the region are sun-seekers looking for a relaxing getaway, but the new opportunity to see more of the area and explore its culture and Mayan history in more depth is likely to bring in even more visitors to different towns and cities. It also allows those un-seeking tourists to get out of the resorts and explore with ease instead of on one of the prepackaged tour groups that head to many of the Mayan sites.
A timeline for any of the Canadian developments is still forthcoming, and it’s possible it could be a long time, but those in the country hoping to head to the Mexican Caribbean in the near future should keep a lookout for new flights from some lesser airports. It could very well be possible that they could skip the typical layovers in Toronto or the US and grab a direct flight very soon.
Those traveling to Cancun in the near future should keep on top of any flight cancellations as the industry struggles with staff shortages. Make sure to contact the airlines before leaving to ensure that all layovers and other aspects of the trip are accounted for.
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