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Cancun has been listed as one of the top destinations in Mexico for Americans this summer. The city was already expecting to host a lot of European tourists during the summer months, as many hotels are already booked to near capacity. With the addition of more than 1 million American tourists added to that, it’s predicted that millions of foreign travelers will make Cancun their vacation destination this summer.
Cancun’s tourism industry has been booming since the beginning of the year, with spring break and Easter being their busiest times so far. Even in the period in between those holidays, though, the beaches were still packed and hotels were still reporting higher than average occupancy rates. If the city continues to see this high number of tourists coming in, they are set to have a record-breaking year.
In a recent study performed by Allianz Travel, Cancun was named one of the Top 10 Summer Destinations, in fact, the city placed first on the list, followed by Los Cabos. Puerto Vallarta also made it on the list but only to sixth place. Both Cancun and Los Cabos are in the same positions as last year, making Cancun the top destination for two years in a row now.
There is no lack of evidence of Cancun’s popularity either, as the numbers are proof of just how many foreign travelers make the beaches of the beautiful city their vacation destination. Cancun International Airport operates close to 500 incoming and outgoing flights every day. Furthermore, occupancy rates in hotels in the Cancun Hotel Zone continue to stay well above 50 percent, even during the slower times.
The main attraction for visitors to Cancun is the beautiful beaches, the exciting nightlife in the Cancun Hotel Zone, and the wide variety of cultural activities in and around the city. Visitors are also becoming more and more familiar with the many cenotes in the area as well. Cenotes are natural swimming holes developed out of sinkholes that fill with rain and groundwater and maintain a mild temperature throughout the year.
Many of the cenotes that are within driving distance of Cancun are in breathtaking natural surroundings and have crystal clear water. Like the beaches, the cenotes have sometimes been plagued with a sargassum problem this year but when they are clear of the annoying seaweed, they are something amazing to experience. Sargassum is a brown seaweed that washes onto the shores of Cancun beaches.
Sargassum has become a bigger problem than ever this year, although it has always been an issue, resulting in hours of labor and a lot of money being forked over for cleanup efforts. Government employees, volunteers, and even the Navy have contributed to cleaning the beaches and preventing sargassum from reaching the shore, but it has been relentless this year. A recently developed task force is researching ways to stop the excessive amounts of the seaweed from reaching the shore, so that cleanup will take less time in the future.
More than 80 percent more tourists have visited Mexico this year compared to last, and Cancun is where most of them go. Even despite the sargassum problem and the increase in crime, foreign visitors continue to vacation in the most-loved Mexican Caribbean destination. While the increase in the number of visitors is likely due to the lax Covid restrictions and the fact that borders in Mexico never closed, it’s likely that the popularity of Cancun will continue into the future.
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