The cruise ports of Quintana Roo have seen a remarkable influx of visitors during the first half of 2024, with the total number of cruise passengers exceeding 3.5 million. This significant milestone, reported by the Ministry of Tourism through the Datatur system, underscores the growing importance of the region as a leading destination for maritime tourism in Mexico.
Between January and June 2024, the island of Cozumel attracted just over 2.4 million cruise passengers, while the port of Mahahual welcomed more than 1.1 million. The combined total from these two ports represents a substantial 69.1% of the 5.1 million cruise passengers that have visited Mexico during this period.
Cozumel and Mahahual, both located in the Gulf-Caribbean area, have become the dominant players in Mexico’s cruise tourism sector. Cozumel alone has captured 47.5% of the country’s maritime tourists, establishing it as the leading cruise destination in Mexico. Mahahual follows with a significant contribution of 21.6%. In comparison, the port of Ensenada, the third most visited cruise port in Mexico, attracted 470,671 passengers, accounting for 9.1% of the national total.
The dominance of these two ports is further highlighted when considering the performance of Mexico’s other cruise ports. The remaining 17 cruise ports along the Mexican Pacific coast account for just 30% of the country’s cruise passengers. Additionally, the Pacific ports have experienced a 16.4% decline in the volume of tourists during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
In contrast, the Gulf-Caribbean ports of Cozumel and Mahahual have demonstrated impressive growth. Cozumel has already surpassed its pre-pandemic visitor numbers, reporting a 1.7% increase compared to the January-June period in 2019. This achievement is notable as such growth was not anticipated until 2025. Meanwhile, Mahahual’s growth is even more striking, with a 28.2% increase in cruise passengers compared to the first half of 2019, when it received 867,636 visitors. By June 2024, Mahahual had welcomed 1,112,819 passengers.
The ongoing success of Cozumel and Mahahual highlights the growing appeal of Quintana Roo as a top destination for cruise tourism. This trend is expected to continue as the ports further enhance their facilities and offerings, attracting even more visitors in the coming years.