Among the tourists that visited the Mexican city of Cancún in the first quarter of 2018, 21.7 percent were between 20 and 29 years old. Cancún was the most visited city in Latin America in 2018.

In 2020, the number of international tourist arrivals to hotels in the Mexican city of Cancún amounted to roughly 2.4 million, less than 40 percent of the overnight tourism volume recorded in 2019. In the last-mentioned year, Cancún was the second most popular tourist destination in Mexico, based on the total number of visitors, ranking only behind the country’s capital.

Cancún tourism statistics

Cancún, situated in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, is not only a popular destination for international tourists. In the first quarter of 2020, more than three out of ten visitors in the city were Mexicans. Considering international visitors, the U.S. was the most popular country of origin for Cancún visitors, accounting for 34 percent of arrivals in that same period. And Cancún visitors like to enjoy their stay – almost 70 percent of visitors had a length of stay in the city of at least five days.

Hotel accommodation in Cancún

Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the hotel occupancy rate in Cancún was proportional to the hotel star rating. Five-star hotels, the favorite among non-resident tourists, registered a hotel occupancy of nearly 74 percent in 2019. Four-star hotels also recorded occupancy rates above 70 percent. In contrast, only 43 percent of rooms in one-star hotels were booked in that year. In 2020, the highest room occupancy of hotels in Cancún only reached 34.8 percent.

According to a survey performed in the first quarter of 2018, among the tourists that visited the Mexican city of Cancún during this time, 34.8 percent stayed for more than seven days. In contrast, less than three percent of respondents stayed one or two days.

Mexico Visitor Arrivals: Domestic: TC: Cancun data was reported at 201,009.000 Person in Jan 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 255,255.000 Person for Dec 2018. Mexico Visitor Arrivals: Domestic: TC: Cancun data is updated monthly, averaging 112,357.000 Person from Jan 2000 (Median) to Jan 2019, with 229 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 389,836.000 Person in Jul 2016 and a record low of 24,737.000 Person in Nov 2005. Mexico Visitor Arrivals: Domestic: TC: Cancun data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q001: Visitor Arrivals: by Tourist Center.

Over 15 percent of domestic tourists that visited the Mexican city of Cancún in the first quarter of 2020 were from the country's capital, Mexico City. Cancún is one of the most visited city in Latin America.

Mexico Visitor Arrivals: TC: Cancun, Q Roo data was reported at 8,515,701.000 Person in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 8,315,004.000 Person for 2017. Mexico Visitor Arrivals: TC: Cancun, Q Roo data is updated yearly, averaging 3,406,297.000 Person from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2018, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8,515,701.000 Person in 2018 and a record low of 2,431,748.000 Person in 2006. Mexico Visitor Arrivals: TC: Cancun, Q Roo data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q002: Visitor Arrivals: by Tourist Center: Annual.

According to a survey performed in the first quarter of 2018, among the tourists that visited the Mexican city of Cancún in this time, 54.4 percent claimed that the main motivation to choose this destination was friends and family. In contrast, 4.3 percent of respondents were motivated by social media.

During the first quarter of 2020, 34 percent of tourists in Cancún, Mexico were from the United States. Mexico itself accounted for 33.7 percent of the travelers in the renowned city at the Yucatán Peninsula. Canada was also a popular country of origin among tourists in Cancún, with 8.7 percent.

Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Passenger Arrivals: Cancun: EC: International data was reported at 7,879,723.000 Person in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,520,827.000 Person for 2017. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Passenger Arrivals: Cancun: EC: International data is updated yearly, averaging 1,795,046.000 Person from Dec 1988 (Median) to 2018, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,879,723.000 Person in 2018 and a record low of 488,844.000 Person in 1988. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Passenger Arrivals: Cancun: EC: International data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q013: Aircraft Passenger Arrivals: Annual.

Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Passenger Arrivals: BC: Cancun data was reported at 22,741.000 Person in Feb 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 20,258.000 Person for Jan 2019. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Passenger Arrivals: BC: Cancun data is updated monthly, averaging 78,661.000 Person from Jan 1996 (Median) to Feb 2019, with 278 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 207,529.000 Person in Mar 2000 and a record low of 7,540.000 Person in Nov 2017. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Passenger Arrivals: BC: Cancun data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q012: Aircraft Passenger Arrivals.

Cancún's popularity among Mexican tourists grew significantly by the end of the 2000s. Between 2008 and 2009, the number of domestic tourist arrivals to hotels in the popular Mexican travel destination sprang from 1.1 million to 1.7 million, eventually reaching a peak of 2.6 million by 2019. However, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic harshly impacted these accommodation providers. Overall, hotels in Cancún recorded only around 1.1 million domestic guests in 2020.

Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Business Class: Domestic data was reported at 400.000 Unit in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 33.000 Unit for 2017. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Business Class: Domestic data is updated yearly, averaging 1,268.000 Unit from Dec 1988 (Median) to 2018, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,721.000 Unit in 2007 and a record low of 33.000 Unit in 2017. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Business Class: Domestic data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q011: Aircraft Arrivals: Annual.

Throughout 2021 and 2022, the quarterly number of employees in the Mexican tourism sector showed a steady growth, reaching nearly 4.6 million workers. This trend continued in the first semester of 2023.

Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Economic Class: Domestic data was reported at 30,638.000 Unit in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 28,413.000 Unit for 2017. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Economic Class: Domestic data is updated yearly, averaging 12,315.000 Unit from Dec 1988 (Median) to 2018, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 30,638.000 Unit in 2018 and a record low of 2,100.000 Unit in 1988. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Economic Class: Domestic data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q011: Aircraft Arrivals: Annual.

Key information about Mexico Visitor Arrivals

• Mexico Visitor Arrivals recorded 3,947,959 person in Jan 2025, compared with 4,789,432 person in the previous month
• Mexico Visitor Arrivals data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1980 to Jan 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 4,789,432 person in Dec 2024 and a record low of 775,418 person in Apr 2020

In 2022, Mexico welcomed more than 38 million international tourists, increasing its tourism volume by 20 percent versus a year earlier, though not completely recovering from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Mexico, as one of the few exceptions worldwide, did not adopt strict restrictions to the entry of foreign visitors during the health crisis. However, the global air travel halt and the fear of contagion severely impacted the country’s inbound tourism in both years, which up until 2019 had registered a steady increase.

Business tourism in Mexico

While the amount of total international travelers in Mexico was growing over the years prior to the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, the country’s same-day international guests were lessening, from over 77 million in 2016 to roughly 63 million excursionists in 2019. In the inbound business travel segment, tourism expenditures apart from transportation expenses have also decreased in recent years, contrary to the annual total spending from travelers motivated by personal reasons. During 2019, business travel in Mexico City was reported to cost international guests nearly 220 U.S. dollars a day, with hotels accounting for over two thirds of that expense.

International air travel into Mexico

In 2019, around 17.6 international visitors passed through Mexico City International Airport, the leading Mexican airport for inbound travel. During this time, the North American country’s flag carrier Aeroméxico handled the largest share of its international air passenger traffic, with nearly 16 percent of the market. That same year, Grupo Aeroméxico generated a revenue of nearly 68.8 billion Mexican pesos, which was a decrease from the almost 70.3 billion Mexican pesos produced a year prior.

Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Business Class: Int: Cancun data was reported at 141.000 Unit in Feb 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 108.000 Unit for Jan 2019. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Business Class: Int: Cancun data is updated monthly, averaging 431.500 Unit from Jan 1996 (Median) to Feb 2019, with 278 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,243.000 Unit in Mar 2003 and a record low of 36.000 Unit in Nov 2017. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Business Class: Int: Cancun data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q010: Aircraft Arrivals.

Mexico Visitor Arrivals: Domestic: Three Stars: TC: Cancun data was reported at 31,791.000 Person in Jan 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 37,253.000 Person for Dec 2018. Mexico Visitor Arrivals: Domestic: Three Stars: TC: Cancun data is updated monthly, averaging 15,380.000 Person from Jan 2000 (Median) to Jan 2019, with 229 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 42,904.000 Person in Jul 2016 and a record low of 5,671.000 Person in Oct 2000. Mexico Visitor Arrivals: Domestic: Three Stars: TC: Cancun data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q001: Visitor Arrivals: by Tourist Center.

Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Business Class: International data was reported at 1,064.000 Unit in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,287.000 Unit for 2017. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Business Class: International data is updated yearly, averaging 5,235.000 Unit from Dec 1988 (Median) to 2018, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9,608.000 Unit in 2000 and a record low of 1,000.000 Unit in 1988. Mexico Tourism: Aircraft Arrivals: Cancun: Business Class: International data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Secretary of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.Q011: Aircraft Arrivals: Annual.

In 2022, the hotel occupancy rate in the Mexican city of Cancun stood at roughly 76 percent, up by more than 18 percentage points in relation to the figures recorded in the previous year. Cancún —which is located in the state of Quintana Roo— is one of the leading beach destinations in Mexico.