Mexican Pacific, Mexico — Cruise ship tourism along the Pacific coast of Mexico has seen a significant increase in activity during 2026. The Secretary of Tourism reports a 38% increase in Pacific coast cruise ship passengers already this year.
According to Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, 1,196,068 cruise ship passengers have arrived on board 382 ships. She reported the arrival of passengers along the Pacific has increase by 38.2% with an 18.3% increase in docking ships.
She says the town of Santa María Huatulco in the southern state of Oaxaca leads the way with heightened cruise ship activity. The port has seen a 93.2% increase with 20,045 passengers.
That number is followed by Cabo San Lucas, located on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. According to her numbers, Cabo San Lucas has seen a 69.6% increase in cruise ship visitors this year, recording 428,799 passengers.
The average number of passengers per cruise ship arriving along the Pacific coast has also increased by 5% from 3,172 in 2025 to 3,329 in 2026.
“The growth recorded in the first months of the year confirms the confidence of cruise companies and travelers in Mexico. Mexico continues to consolidate its position as a strategic destination with a diversified tourism offering and increasingly competitive ports,” she said.
He also emphasized the importance of cruise tourism as an engine of regional development, generating direct economic benefits in port communities, strengthening local production chains, and contributing to Mexico’s international projection.
In this context, Rodríguez Zamora highlighted the dynamism of the Pacific region where 1,196,068 passengers and 382 arrivals were recorded with growth rates of 38.2 percent and 18.3 percent respectively.
She says these figures position the area as one of those showing the greatest expansion in activity.
So far this year, Huatulco, Oaxaca registered 12 cruise ships with 20,045 passengers, representing a 93.2 percent increase. Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur recorded 428,799 passengers across 117 arrivals representing year-over-year increases of 69.6 percent and 62.5 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, Puerto Chiapas, Chiapas registered 12,663 passengers across seven arrivals with increases of 65.9 percent in passenger traffic and 75.0 percent in arrivals.
So far this year, Mexico has recorded the registered arrival of 3.6 million cruise ship passengers. Secretary Rodríguez Zamora says it is an increase of 9.9% compared to 2025.
Rodríguez Zamora reiterated that these results occur within a context of strengthening port infrastructure and institutional coordination, which allows Mexico to continue positioning itself as a reliable and competitive destination in the cruise industry.
