This Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) in Mexico hosted over 1.6 million air and cruise passengers in the first three months of the year, as per state figures.
The designation as “Magical Town” is restricted to destinations filled with unique history, cultural symbolism, carnivals, special cuisine, and great shopping. That’s the case of Cozumel Island in the Mexican Caribbean.
In only January and February, 155,651 tourists passed through customs at the Cozumel International Airport, an increase of 33 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
In another tourism industry, the first three months of 2024 saw a staggering hotel occupancy rate of 85 percent.
Governor Mara Lezama said that Cozumel is one of the preferred hotspots among foreign and local tourists. “We have figures, very good figures throughout the state and in Cozumel, of course, the confidence of our visitors is confirmed, overnight tourism is growing, hotel occupancy is increasing and this is reflected in people’s pockets,” she said.
As of today, this island is served by non-stop flights from nine US and two Canadian cities, as well as CDMX, Monterrey and Guadalajara.
Air travel is not the only means of transport used by travelers. Also, from January through March, 452 cruise vessels brought in 1,456,724 visitors, an increase of 18 when compared to the same months in 2023, according to the Comprehensive Port Authority of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo) APIQROO.
The Secretary of Tourism forecasts that Mexico will receive over 9.3 million cruise ship passengers this year, an increase of 2.4 percent over 2023.
Secretary of Tourism, Miguel Torruco Marques, reported that Cozumel port is set to receive the highest number of cruise ships in Mexico in 2024, accounting for 34.8 percent of the vessels.
So far, things are looking good. In only January and February, the destination welcomed 958,527 cruise passengers, making it the 4th busiest cruise destination on the planet, with almost 3 million arrivals per year.
Most international visitors come from European countries like the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and Portugal, as well as the United States, Bahamas, and Panama, with an average spending of $80 per day.
The business is also expanding. Royal Caribbean, the largest cruise company in the world, has officially announced the opening of a new world-class beach club on the western coast of the island in 2026.