Mexico’s top tourist beach destinations – Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta – saw a surge in international arrivals as tourism recovered from the pandemic in 2022. What once seemed like a fairly optimistic prospect has now emerged to assure between authorities and market leaders. What’s going on with these Mexican hotspots?
A combination of factors appears to be causing the steady decline in passenger numbers. While multiple sources confirm this trend in 2024, data shows that the problem actually started in the first quarter of 2023.
In July 2023, the Migration Policy Unit reported a significant 10.2 percent decline in international visitors to beach destinations compared to 2022 data, with just 1.1 million arrivals. At the same time, the agency emphasized that the decline had started in March that year.
Fast forward to August 2023, and the situation at airports like Cancun International Airport (CUN) had deteriorated, although this airport has a unique situation that we will get into later. According to ASUR, the operator of Mexico’s main airports, CUN saw a 13.6 percent drop in international passengers compared to August 2022, a month that was already underperforming.
This week, a report from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) shows that Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta airports experienced a sharp decline in arrivals throughout the year.
In July, these airports recorded a combined decline of 3.6 percent compared to the same period in 2023 – a year that has already seen a decline in visitor numbers.
The trend continued in August, with a decline of 6.2 percent, followed by a decline of 6.4 percent in September, marking an even steeper decline than in previous months.
Adding to the concerns, more and more Mexicans are choosing to travel internationally. During the first eight months of 2024, 5.4 million local travelers went abroad – a significant increase of 19.5% compared to the same period in 2023.
So why have tourists turned away from Mexico’s beloved destinations?
Depending on who you ask, everyone has a theory about why month after month, more and more travelers are choosing other Caribbean destinations.
Reasons supported by data include environmental, human and technical factors.
Since 2011, Mexico’s Caribbean destinations have been facing a huge problem. Rising water temperatures and eutrophication – caused by an influx of nutrients such as those from large-scale agricultural runoff in the US and Brazil – have led to excessive seaweed growth, impacting beaches across the region.
And let’s be honest: No one wants their Instagram photos ruined by piles of brown algae. On the plus side, the 2024 sargassum season has officially endedso now it’s time to book your tickets and enjoy a sargassum-free Christmas getaway.
Meanwhile, industry leaders argue that there has not been enough national marketing to promote these destinations, while other Caribbean countries have become increasingly attractive to American and other international travelers.
Visa restrictions on nationals from Brazil, Ecuador and Peru have also negatively impacted visitor numbers. In addition, some flights and routes have been shortened due to necessary ongoing engine inspections.
As mentioned, the decline in arrivals at Cancun airport is a unique case.
The opening of Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport (TQO) in Tulum on December 1, 2023 has diverted some of the passengers who previously had to fly to Cancun even if it was not their intended destination. As a result, CUN has seen a steady 5.5 percent decline in passenger numbers through 2024.
Should I still book a trip to Mexico this winter season?
Of course you should! A record number of Americans are planning to visit Mexico this winter season.
According to from TripAdvisor latest Winter Travel Index 2024-2025, Four of the top five destinations American travelers are headed to this winter are in the Caribbean – and most of them are in Mexico.
Cancun tops the list as the most visited city in the coming weeks, followed by Punta Cana, Cabo San Lucas and Playa del Carmen. Other popular destinations include Puerto Vallarta, located on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
