Mexican Travel Hotspot Breaks Tourism Records in 2023

Image: An aerial view of Cancun's Hotel Zone at Playa Linda. (photo via LUNAMARINA / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Image: An aerial view of Cancun's Hotel Zone at Playa Linda. (photo via LUNAMARINA / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 1:15 PM ET, Sat January 6, 2024

The numbers are in, they are staggering, and they prove a significant point: people love to visit the state of Quintana Roo and its popular resort towns.

According to the Riviera Maya News, Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama announced the state welcomed more than 33 million tourists in 2023, breaking several previous tourism records for the region.

The final number was 33.7 million passengers who arrived by plane, cruise or other means of transportation last year. The overall increase in spending in Mexico was also up 12 percent compared to 2022.

“Quintana Roo is undoubtedly at its best moment, thanks to everyone who makes these figures possible," Lezama said. "Without a doubt, the transformation is advancing with shared prosperity, with social justice and with development."

The cruise ports alone in Quintana Roo received more than 6.1 million passengers last year.

"The tourism diversity of our destinations makes us unique, not only in Mexico but in the world," said Secretary of Tourism Bernardo Cueto. “From paradisiacal beaches to cultural riches, each place offers an unforgettable experience; Quintana Roo is at its best.”

The state is helped not only by its temperate climate but also by its more than 130,000 hotel rooms, not to mention a new airport in Tulum.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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