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Easter Week Should See Records Broken Amid Huge Influx Of Tourists
Cancun International Airport is approaching record numbers once again, as it provides service for more than forty different airlines. Easter should see the operational figures broken with the influx of over one million tourists from around the world.
The airport is enjoying a massive resurgence after several weeks spent in different levels of restrictions based on Mexico’s epidemiological traffic light system. Although the restrictions did not impact tourist numbers as much as predicted, the Spring break and Easter season has proved extremely fruitful for the popular resort town.
Sunday saw 578 flights to and from the airport, registering 209 international arrivals and 83 national arrivals. Cancun is quickly becoming one of the most connected smaller airports in the world, as well as one of the busiest in Latin America. Only Mexico City beats it out nationally, and that is a major global hub servicing far more than tourists.
At the moment, there are forty different airlines all operating within the Cancun International Airport, highlighting the high number of different destinations currently sending flights Cancun’s way. More are being added on a regular basis as Cancun’s popularity grows and with new additions to the state’s infrastructure like the Maya Train, it’s only set to increase.
Several of the airlines currently operating are major operators, including United, American, Delta and Southwest in the US, while European carriers like British Airways, Air France, TUI, and, prior the Ukraine crisis, Aeroflot from Russia.
The fact that many of these European destinations are offering direct flights is a clear sign of the growing demand for Cancun. In past years, a direct flight may have left a major hub in London once or twice a week, but the majority of the UK would have been served by connecting flights in the US. Orlando was once a major connecting hub for British travelers hoping to enjoy the Mexican Caribbean.
But now, the UK has direct flights from virtually every corner of the country. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, and several others all run direct flights to Cancun multiple times a week meaning the entire population of the country is served.
Other exciting destinations being saved include Lima, Lisbon, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Vienna, and Toronto. Places like Istanbul remain extremely interesting. A direct flight from Turkey lasts at least 12 hours, but demand is high enough for several direct flights a week. Turkey is in close proximity to Greece and other world-renowned beach destinations and even has its own wonderful beaches, But the draw remains high enough, at least for now to bring visitors from across the world.
The Easter week is quickly approaching and current estimates suggest 1.2 million will pass through the area in that week alone. The airport operational records are likely to be broken and the beaches and bars of Cancun will be packed. Factor in the addition of multiple cruise ships and Quintana Roo as a whole will have an extremely busy week.
There is the fear that the success won’t last, however. At least at the rate, it is currently suggesting. As the rest of the world opens up after two years of COVID, there is a strong possibility that Cancun will lose its so-called “borrowed” tourists. In this instance that may be Europeans who have forgone their usual destinations in favor of a more “open” vacation, and Americans who have typically gone to other Caribbean destinations like Jamaica or the Dominican Republic.
Whether Cancun can hold onto these tourists is unclear, but the Easter period is the perfect time to show these visitors the potential the city has and convince them of a future return trip.
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