Mexico. Nearly 1,500 buyers from 875 companies selling or promoting travel converged at the trade event held at Acapulco’s Expo Mundo Imperial. 

During a press conference,tourism minister Miguel Torruco Marques highlighted the nation’s resurgence in travel. 

“Our president, Manuel Lopez Obrador, ordered us not to make restrictions on international flights. We were the first country in Latin America to make strict sanitary protocols which allowed us to recover quickly. While many nations were down as much as 90% in tourism, Mexico only lost 46% of foreign visitors. In 2021 we received more than 30 million international visitors,” said Mr. Torruco. 

While Europe and most of the world were shut down, Mexico’s two most important tourism markets, the United States and Canada had a haven for a sun-splashed holiday. In 2022, Mexico will surpass 40 million arrivals; 80% will travel from the U.S. and Canada. 

Tren Maya

To be completed in 2023, 935 miles and 20 stations of railroad with modern trains will link five states to the east and make the Yucatan accessible to travelers. “For us here in Yucatan, and for my fellow governors of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, and Tabasco, it’s an excellent opportunity to bring more visitors to our states and regions,” said Yucatan governor Mauricio Vila Dosal. 

Exploring New Regions 

“We need to support our cultural interior, including our 132 magical small towns. It isn’t fair that 90% of arrivals visit six places in Mexico: Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. We are working on many new projects to get people to lesser-visited, unexplored places in our country,” continued Turruco. 

Look for a hacienda and pulque route in the form of Hidalgo; a Moroccan style desert marathon in the state of Sonora known as Gran Carrera del Desierto; wine routes in Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe; BASE jumping off the rugged cliffs of Nuevo Leon; and even a sea to sea race in Baja Sur from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez.

State of Nayarit 

The Mexican government is investing heavily in the state of Nayarit. Most visitors arrive at Puerto Vallarta’s International Aiport only to flock north to beach destinations such as Sayulita, Punta Mita, and San Pancho. Tepic, still a minor airport in the country’s tourism infrastructure, is expanding the airport for international flights. Both American Airlines and United have shown interest in offering commuter flights to the Nayarit capital. As of now, the closest flight to Tepic from the U.S. is from Tiajuana with
Volaris Airlines. 

In the magical town of Compostella, a super highway will link Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta in under three hours. The town of San Blas will also benefit from the new highway and Tepic’s soon to be international airport. San Blas also serves as a jump-off point to a new tourist attraction, Islas Marias, a group of four untouched, pristine islands. 

La Paz for luxury 

While Baja Sur tourism hot spots Los Cabos and Todo Santos attract more than the lion’s share of visitors to the region far south of California, nearby La Paz is the gateway to exploration into desert islands Espiritu Santo and San Francisco. American flies to La Paz from Phoenix year-round. More direct flights from the U.S. and Canada are in the works. New luxury properties set to open in 2023 include the Fairmont La Paz Puerto Cortes Resort and Residences and Fairmont’s opulent La Paz Puerta Cortes Resort. 

UnCruise Adventures offers weekly excursions from La Paz far into the Sea of Cortez from January to June. 

More Hotel News 

Luxury hotel brand Xcaret continues to grow with the recent opening of Casa de la Playa, located in the Riviera Maya. New catamarans will transport hotel guests from each resort to cabana club-houses on day trips to the stunning island, including snorkeling tours. 

Forward-thinking Grupo Posadas luxury-lifestyle brand Live Aqua flaunts a sophisticated and seductive atmosphere. With nine properties in its impressive portfolio in the Cancun region alone, the latest properties in Quintana Roo are: Live Aqua Beach Resort Riviera Cancun and Grand Fiesta Americana Riviera Cancun. The adults-only Live Aqua will showcase 19 restaurants, Aqua Club, and 452 guest rooms. The family-friendly Fiesta Americana property will boast 600 rooms, 19 restaurants, a waterpark for kids, a spa, and a theater; rounding up the amenities at the extravagant properties.