by Brian Major
Last updated: 11:10 AM ET, Wed August 14, 2024
Mexico’s state of Quintana Roo was a tourism hotspot in
2023. Located on the Yucatan peninsula’s east coast, Quintana Roo encompasses the
tourism magnet destinations of Cancun and Playa del Carmen and is also home to the
cultural centers of Tulum and Chetumal.
A broad new slate of new tourism infrastructure, new hotels and tours and programs
focused on the region’s Maya history, have resulted in record 2023 visitor arrivals,
say state government officials.
New infrastructure in 2024 will include the Ichkabal
archaeological site, Mexico’s largest in terms of territory, whose origins date
to between 300 and 400 B.C. The site is scheduled to open to the public in
September.
Also new is the Tren Maya, which despite initial struggles is slated to expand across the country through
the end of the year.
As state secretary of tourism, Bernardo Cueto Riestra is
tasked with Quintana Roo’s promotion, a duty that requires balancing the marketing
of the destination to millions of visitors with ensuring the sustainability of areas
that represent Mexico’s treasured heritage.
Cueto Riestra has the background to make things happen,
having previously served as Quintana Roo’s development chief and head of the state’s
Financing Institute. In that position, he played a key role in the state’s
economic recovery during and after the pandemic.
TravelPulse spoke recently with Cueto Riestra to learn more
about his desire to position Quintana Roo as a global leader in sustainable
tourism whose natural and cultural attractions can be enjoyed by future
generations.
TP: What distinguished Quintana Roo in comparison with
other areas of Mexico?
BCR: [Quintana Roo] is the only state in Mexico that
[borders] the Caribbean Sea. That’s a huge asset for us. Our beaches and sea
are beautiful and amazing. It has [only] been 50 years since we started
building our tourism infrastructure, so we are in several ways a new
destination. And we are in a new era.
TP: How so?
BCR: The first 50 years we built tourism destinations like
Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel and Tulum. Now, we have 12 tourism destinations in
the state, and we have a lot of new things [including] new infrastructure in
our state. We are one of the few destinations that travelers can approach by
air, by cruise ship, by car and now by train.
TP: You mean the Tren Maya, correct?
BCR: Yes. The Tren Maya crosses the entire state, north to
south, and connects three international airports including the new
international airport in Tulum that is doing very well with flights to New
York, Los Angeles and Dallas.
The new train connects Tulum Airport, Cancun Airport and
Chetumal Airport; that’s coverage from north to south. The Mayan train crosses
all of our states and destinations near the Caribbean. So this is a huge new
opportunity to visit our destinations.
It is a new opportunity to discover new sites in our state
and the Mayan culture, which is amazing, and the Mexican Caribbean in a new way
with better infrastructure and great service.
“We have a stronger infrastructure with new airports.” - Bernardo Cueto Riestra. (Photo Credit: Mexican Caribbean Tourism)
TP: How does the new rail service impact
Quintana Roo’s airports?
BCR: We have a stronger infrastructure with these new
airports. American Airlines, United, JetBlue and Delta fly to Tulum. Of course,
Cancun has a great airport; 40 U.S. cities connect to Cancun.
We are growing [with] new hotels in our destinations; in
the last three to four years, we’ve opened 200 new hotels. We have new brands,
and we have a diversity of offers, with luxury and other categories. So we have
a lot of new things and are promoting this as a new Mexican era.
TP: How did the region emerge from the
challenges posed by the pandemic?
BCR: Since the pandemic we’ve had a very strong recovery. We
think that Mexico remaining open to tourism allowed us to have a better
recovery. From 2021 to this year, all the numbers of new visitors have
increased. U.S. visitors are increasing, European visitors are increasing and
in general we’ve had record numbers.
TP: How many people traveled to Quintana Roo last year?
BCR: Last year was a record year with more than 20 million [land
based] visitors and more than six million cruise passengers. The pandemic for
us was like a relaunch to attract more visitors to our states.
TP: What elements have made the region so
attractive to travelers?
BCR: We have more than 171,000 hotel rooms. There is no
other destination in Mexico with that capacity. We have a lot of diversity, so
it you’re a luxury traveler, you will find a great offer or if you are a
backpacker or family, we approach all of the segments, and that allows us to
keep growing and remain as a top-of-mind destination.
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