Cancun Breaks Record With Over 1.6 Million Tourists in September, Up 5% from 2019

Cancun Breaks Record With Over 1.6 Million Tourists in September

With over 1.6 million arrivals, Cancun tourist arrivals hit new record high in September surpassing by 5% the number of passengers the city received before the pandemic began.

According to data from airport management company (ASUR), Cancun International Airport received 1,661,066 tourists last month, up 4.4% from the next highest which was September 2019 when the company recorded 1,591,276 arrivals. 

cancun beach

“Cancun is well on its way to a full economic recovery after the hardships of the global Covid-19 pandemic,” Cancun mayor said in a recent interview.

The city has no plans to slow it down. It will continue luring visitors from new countries as a new winter-getaway season approaches. 

In fact, tourism industry leaders are gearing up to receive 10 more million visitors between November 2021 and March 2022. 

“We are doing very well, let’s continue respecting the sanitary measures to attract more potential clients and visitors… The good news keeps coming, with increased tourism, jobs, investments, and wealth and well-being for Cancun families,” said the mayor. 

She also stated that the average hotel occupancy rate of 50.9% in the Cancun Hotel Zone and 42.6% in the city center shows the speed of the economic recovery. 

tulum beach close to ruins

At the outset of the pandemic, Mexico was hit hard by the virus. Not anymore. Quintana Roo, the state where Cancun is located, has managed to deliver 1.6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, which puts it in the top ten highest vaccinated states.

In fact, Covid-19 cases have dropped from 18% to 46% in the entire area. 

This was one of the key factors that permitted the government to move down Cancun’s epidemiology level to “Green” in Mexico’s traffic light system.

The move means that most of the Covid-19 restrictions have been scrapped in Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, and the rest of the internationally famous Riviera Maya.

Tourist venues such as bars, nightclubs, theme parks, and golf courses can now operate at 80% capacity.