Cancun Airport breaks barrier of 30 million passengers

Cancun, QR. Yesterday, December 28, the Cancun International Airport transferred 30 million passengers on their outbound journey, with which the terminal exceeds the previous record of passengers mobilized in a year by 4.6 million travelers, reached in 2019 with 25.4 million.

Governor Mara Lezama affirmed that this year Quintana Roo is not only recovering what was lost during the pandemic, but also far exceeding the passengers mobilized from Cancun to more than 120 cities around the world.

With the established brand, the terminal grew 22% compared to 2019, in addition to reaching the maximum passenger limit.

“This is a historic day for the Cancun International Airport, for Quintana Roo and for all those who participate in the tourism industry, because we received Lisa Marie Stickley, the 30 millionth passenger of this year 2022. It is the highest number reached and I want to to thank the national and international airlines, hoteliers and businessmen,” said the governor.

unprecedented growth

Between 2015 and 2018, the Cancun air terminal grew almost at a rate of 2 million passengers per year, since that first reference year 19.5 million were mobilized, by 2016 it grew to 21.4 million, while 2017 closed it at 23.6 million. By 2018 it grew again to 25.2 million, but by 2019 it could not sustain the pace and remained at 25.4 million.

In 2020 the figure plummeted to 12.2 million passengers, that is, a 51.8% drop, but by 2021 the recovery began to close with 22.3 million passengers.

By closing with 30 million passengers this 2022, the terminal not only reaches a total volume of passengers never before recorded, but also grows in an atypical way at a double-digit rate that is also unprecedented.

In addition to the growth above the records prior to the pandemic, the federal Ministry of Tourism announced last November that Cancun is the airport with the highest volume of foreign travelers nationwide.

Only in the case of the United States, the most important international market for Mexico, the number of tourists received at the end of October is 10.6 million nationally, of which 4.5 million entered through the Cancun airport, that is, 42.4 per cent. hundred.

The second most important international market is Canada, with 1.2 million visitors at the end of October, of which 682,984 arrived via Cancun, that is, 56.4% during the first 10 months of the year.

With a total of 717,652 visitors, the third most important market for Mexico is already Colombia, above the United Kingdom —which it has relegated to fourth place—, Spain, France, Brazil, and Argentina. Of that volume, 350,259 arrived in the country via Cancun, that is, 48.8%, only below Mexico City, which captured 354,269 Colombians.

By descending volume, it is followed by the United Kingdom with 481,793 travelers, of which 382,046 entered through Cancun, that is, 79.2%, Spain with 306,089 travelers nationwide, of which 155,084 arrived in Mexico through Cancun, which represents 50.6%. of the total.

estados@eleconomista.mx