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The first half of the year has been one for the record books for Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean when it comes to tourists visiting the popular resort beach destination.
The 13 percent increase in the tourist count even exceeded the projections made by local tourism officials.
Exceeding Tourism Expectations
According to the Secretary of Tourism of Quintana Roo leader Bernardo Cueto Riestra, projections called for a sharp increase in post-pandemic tourism in Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean.
For the just-completed summer travel season, an optimistic 1.8 million visitors were expected to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf in the area.
Instead, more than two million visited Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean during the summer.
The numbers for the first half of the year already have tourism officials believing that the entire year’s numbers for 2022 will be exceeded this year.
Travel Spending
The travel boom that has fueled the popularity of Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean as a travel hotspot this year is connected to the acceleration of consumer spending on travel after restrictions faced during the years of travel restrictions.
Dubbed “revenge travel” by experts, the boom in spending has helped to increase visitor traffic to international destinations.
However, according to the latest consumer economic research from the United States Federal Reserve Bank, the era of post-crisis consumer spending on travel is quickly coming to an end.
The latest Beige Book report shows Americans, which is the source of most of the tourism to Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean, scaled back travel spending in August as children returned to school and the summer travel season wrapped up.
Paired with the restart of student loan payments, many consumers may simply be tapped out going into the holidays for international travel.
Resorts and hotels in Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean are already reporting soft occupancy numbers in September.
However, many mention it is a seasonal trend and expect a pickup for the fall and winter season in October.
Americans Love the Mexican Caribbean
The fact is, when it comes to limited travel dollars, Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean may have a slight downturn. However, the truth is no matter what, Americans just love the area.
In fact, Americans recently rated Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean their No. 1 international beach travel destination this fall and winter.
The report cited food gastronomy, nature, history, shopping, and nightlife as important factors in choosing their vacation getaway destination.
Among travelers planning fall and winter trips to Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean, Chichen Itza and cenote tours were most often cited as in-demand tours and excursion destinations in the area.
Affordable Getaway Options
Cancun has traditionally been a relatively affordable option for a vacation getaway, with a large number of flights and plenty of resort hotel options for visitors.
The recent announcement of additional flights from American Airlines should help increase the number of seats available for travelers.
However, December is a key date on the calendar of most visitors. The opening of the new Tulum International Airport will provide a second airport for travelers.
Pairing that opening with the potential for more flights from Mexican carriers with the expected upgrade of Mexico’s airline safety rating and the expectations are increased competition could make the destination even more affordable.
The Benefit for Visitors
As flights increase and hotel rooms remain affordable in response to soft occupancy rates, Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean appear to be good vacation getaway destinations for those on a budget.
The many amenities in the area complement the travel demands of visitors and make the resort beach destination an even more appealing place for tourists to visit during the peak fall and winter travel seasons.
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