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The Mexican Caribbean is the premier destination for all tourists coming to enjoy a beach resort destination vacation in Mexico.
In fact, according to a new report, more than a third of all international travelers to Mexico have a ticket with a Mexican Caribbean airport printed on it as the destination.
Mexico, Caribbean Style
The Mexican Federal Undersecretary of Tourism, Humberto Hernández Haddad, recently announced the results of a survey of international tourists visiting Mexico for a vacation getaway.
His survey found that more than a third of the 49.7 million passengers visiting Mexico between January and August 2023 came to the Mexican Caribbean.
This was an 18 percent increase from the pandemic-era tourism numbers of 2022. However, it was still short of the numbers recorded in 2019, the year before the pandemic affected travel to Mexico and around the world.
However, Hernández Haddad added that the spending per tourist is actually already above the 2019 levels.
That makes sense with the impact of inflation and higher average room rates in the Mexican Caribbean area.
He also added that the tourism industry creates more than 4.7 million jobs across the country and Quintana Roo alone is the most visited entity in Latin America.
This has created some unique challenges for the beach resort destination to face and address.
Plenty of Amenities
It’s easy to understand why the Mexican Caribbean has been such a hot destination with international visitors, especially from the United States.
Popular destinations like Cancun, Tulum, Isla Mujeres, and Cozumel stand out for delivering the sun, sand, and surf desired by travelers.
However, the popularity of the Mexican Caribbean with travelers extends beyond the Caribbean Sea.
Visitors to the Mexican Caribbean can find other great reasons for a vacation getaway. From foodie experiences and history adventures to relaxing wellness holidays and cenote excursions, the region definitely has something for every tourist to enjoy.
What The Future Holds
With the recent announcement from many different airlines expanding flights and additional destinations connecting the Cancun International Airport, the numbers should only continue to climb.
That’s before the impact of the new Tulum International Airport, opening this December, starts to drive even more passengers towards enjoying the sun, sand, and surf on a vacation getaway to the Mexican Caribbean.
Also, the raising of the United States Federal Aviation Administration safety rating for Mexican airlines from level two to the highest level, level one, means additional flights and destinations for the Mexican Caribbean.
Tips for Travelers
Visitors to the Mexican Caribbean should anticipate higher room rates and more expensive costs for food and amenities due to the increase in demand for vacation options in the Mexican Caribbean.
However, some of the lowest prices for accommodations recently could be found among the vacation rentals in the Tulum area. That may change towards the end of the year when the new Tulum International Airport increases demand for vacation rentals near the brand-new airport.
To date, only one international airline has announced service to the new airport so far. However, several domestic airlines have announced a new flight service to Tulum.
The good news on the airline front is that the announcement of all of the new flights from several United States airlines will mean additional availability and hopefully lower airfares for Mexican Caribbean visitors from the United States.
This should especially be the case for several Midwest airports which recently announced brand new flights to Cancun International Airport.
Despite the additional flight service to Cancun International Airport, flights to Cozumel International Airport, and additional flights to the brand new Tulum International Airport, travelers to the Mexican Caribbean should plan to book their flights and accommodations well in advance of the peak fall and winter holidays to secure the best locations and pricing.
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