Mexico ranks first in the world in international arrivals by cruise ships reaching 6.48 million passengers so far this year, Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism (Sectur) Enrique de la Madrid reported today.
“Cruise tourism in our country generates an important regional economy, so the federal government, through the Sectur, drives destinations such as Puerto Peñasco in Sonora and the ports of Veracruz and Acapulco,” said the minister in a bulletin.
De la Madrid held a meeting with the members of the Association of Cruise Ships of Florida and the Caribbean (FCCA).
Based on data from the FCCA, Cozumel, in the Mexican Caribbean, is the number one destination globally in the arrival of international tourists via cruises with 3.6 million passengers in 2017, while Nassau, in The Bahamas, reached 3.58 million.
Mexico has reached 6.48 million cruise passengers this year, while the Bahamas has 4.45 million passengers and the United States 2.19 million, ranking the nation as the number one in the world ranking.
FCCA recognized that the cruise industry has investment projects to develop new ports infrastructure and better services in the destinations where tourist ships arrive, the text added.
Michelle Paige, president of the FCCA, agreed that cruise tourism should be “an engine” for Mexican industry and in parallel improve the quality of life of the inhabitants.
“It’s not an industry, it’s about people,” said Paige, who added that entrepreneurs in the industry are looking to create other exploration points to expand tourism services.
A total of 35 million foreign tourists arrived in Mexico in 2016, 9% more than in the previous year, which meant a foreign exchange income of 19,571 million dollars.
