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A swiss based agency called m1nd-set just released an analysis of airline traffic numbers worldwide, comparing the first quarter of 2019 with the same period of 2022, and the Cancun Airport numbers are impressive.
This analysis was centered around recovery rates from pre-pandemic levels. Those numbers and statistics show which countries and airports changed more throughout this first quarter.
Cancun International Airport rose from the 42nd position to the 9th in international departures amongst all airports in the world! It is the most prominent jump in standings from all airports, enlightening the enormous number of American tourists flocking the Yucatan Peninsula.
Cancun International Airport is Latin America’s 3rd busiest airport and Mexico’s 2nd after Mexico City. It has always been a bustling airport, and 2022 shows promising numbers for Cancun.
Another mind-boggling number is regarding its recovery rate compared to 2019. The percentage measured for the airport is 103%. This data shows that Cancun already reached pre-pandemic levels, surpassing it, being the only one that hit this almighty wanted number desired by many touristic places worldwide.
One other data shows how well things have been going in tourism in some countries. Among the top 20 countries by international departure, Mexico ranks 14th in the world, but it is the one that regained the most from all of them compared to 2019, with an 86% recovery rate. This incredible number puts Mexico in the global hotspot for tourism, booming to a point where the numbers are very close to reaching pre-pandemic levels all over the country, not only in Cancun.
The second place belongs to Belgium with 77%, showing that Mexico is way ahead of the other top 20 countries. But, of course, the United States, in millions of passengers, is still in the number one spot but saw a mere 60% recovery rate from pre-pandemic levels.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which m1nd-set sources its air traffic and forecasting data for its Business 1ntelligence Service (B1S), estimated that international air traffic will approach pre-pandemic levels in 2024. However, after this analysis, their predictions are for worldwide pre-pandemic levels for 2023. Mexico is the closest to this number, and many countries still struggle to reach good levels.
The first quarter of 2022 saw the rising of a new variant, the Omicron. It was by far the most transmissible of all, and many countries had to enforce some tighter measures to halt the rising in cases. Many airports and countries maintained test obligations before departures, and some even imposed the booster shot to enter the country. But that didn’t stop Americans from enjoying the cold and bitter winter in the sunny and warm weather on the gorgeous and delightful beaches of the Yucatan peninsula.
Despite all that trouble that Omicron caused, numbers are looking good worldwide, but most remarkably in Latin America and the Caribbean. Driven by the superb numbers of Cancun, this region saw an incredible 97% recovery rate in domestic flights and 70% in international ones, the best recovered from all the six world regions. There is enormous potential in Latin America in this apparent post-pandemic world, showing that things are returning to normal.
Of course, it’s not all flowers. Many things are yet to change, as many report long queues in immigration at the airport, and the pandemic is not over. Actually, Quintana Roo sees an increase in cases, and the governor is urging people to use masks again, especially in closed spaces.
This summer is promising to be very hectic, as it is one of the main hotspots for Americans this season, with the hotel occupancy rate already at 82% even before the season officially started. Things are looking promising for the future of Cancun and Mexico tourism, which is already looking back at the old and long-gone times of pandemic travel downfall.
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