Riviera Maya, Q.R. — State tourism officials report an increase in international visitors during the first half of 2025. Their figures are a stark contrast to what local operators called a crisis during the recent summer holidays.
According to the State Secretariat of Tourism (Sedetur), the closing of the 2025 summer season reflected positive results for the tourism sector. In the first half of 2025, the average monthly arrival of international passengers was 907,000, surpassing the 859,000 recorded in 2024.
“In total, Quintana Roo received 18.5 million domestic and international visitors that year, a figure that represents a 4% increase compared to 2023. From January to May 2025 alone, 8.5 million visitors were recorded, equivalent to 41.8% of the country’s tourist flows,” the Secretaría Estatal de Turismo (Sedetur) Bernardo Cueto Riestra reported in a statement released Monday.
Cueto Riestra also reiterated that this data reaffirms Quintana Roo, and especially Cancun International Airport, as the main gateway to the country. Regarding Cancun International Airport, he explained that it continues to lead in international traffic with 10.17 million arrivals in 2024, equivalent to almost a third of the national total.
From January to May 2025, Cancun welcomed 4.5 million international passengers by air, representing 33.8% of the country’s total international arrivals. By sea, Cozumel and Mahahual stand out as the two main cruise ports, with a combined share of more than 70% of the national total.
From January to July 2025, Cozumel welcomed 2.7 million international passengers, and Mahahual welcomed more than 1.6 million, for a total of more than 4.4 million cruise passengers between the two ports.
He emphasized that in terms of visitor origin, the United States remains the leading country of origin with 37.8% followed by Canada with 13.9%, the United Kingdom and Argentina with 2% each and France with 1.3%. These nationalities dominate both air and sea arrivals.
As part of the continuous improvement strategy, a Working Group was established in early 2024 involving state and federal authorities, the Southeast Airport Group (ASUR), and representatives of the tourism sector. The goal was to resolve issues identified at Cancun International Airport that could affect the visitor experience.
In his report, Cueto Riestra also said “thanks to the dynamism and efforts of authorities from all levels of government and the private sector, the state achieved a collection of more than 2.434 billion pesos in the Lodging Tax, representing a 17% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
In August, Daniel Bellamy García, the Director of Tourism Marketing and Promotion for Playa del Carmen reported hotel occupancy rates between 40 and 60 percent. According to Bellamy, centrally located downtown hotels have reported an average 40 percent fill rate, while larger hotels outside the city were operating at 60 percent.
In Tulum, the tourism situation was worse with tour boats operating at less than 50 percent and only 60 percent of merchants in the archaeological zone open. In July, Pedro Canul Méndez, Administrator of the Tulum Artisanal Centre said the 2025 summer vacation season was worse than during the pandemic.
“This summer has been worse than during the pandemic. People aren’t coming in like they used to,” he said. According to Canul, only 60 percent of the 71 establishments that make up the Artisanal Centre were open. The rest, he said, closed their doors due to a lack of customers.
