Cancún’s Tourism Boom Hits a Wall

Cancún, Mexico — Cancún International Airport, the second busiest for international traffic in Mexico, is facing an unexpected brake on its growth: a global shortage of available aircraft. Although demand to visit the Mexican Caribbean remains solid, the limited supply of flight seats has placed a ceiling on the destination's expansion.

Major hotel groups in the area report that, despite maintaining high occupancy rates, the arrival of new visitors has remained practically flat. The issue is not one of promotion or hotel infrastructure, but of air connectivity, in a context where airlines continue to deal with delays in aircraft deliveries from manufacturers.

A "Happy Problem" for the Riviera Maya

Grupo Xcaret, one of the most significant players in the Riviera Maya, acknowledges this external limitation. The company sees the situation as an opportunity to consolidate its customer base and diversify its businesses, but admits it cannot expand its visitor flow at the rate that demand would allow.

"We closed last year with an 88 percent average occupancy, which is very high for the area, and I have very good expectations for this year with the creation of 1,800 rooms," said Mauricio Kuri, Corporate Communications Director at Grupo Xcaret, in an interview.

The expansion of the Hotel Xcaret México, which this year doubled its capacity from 900 to 1,800 rooms, is part of a long-term plan. "It allows us to have an installed capacity that gives us a very good perspective to see how we grow towards the end of the year," added Kuri.

In parallel, the group has kept its theme parks and tours stable. "In the parks, we have perfectly reached our goals, growing solidly. The business remains very healthy and with good expectations," commented the executive.

However, the growth of international visitors has remained "flat," as the company admits, due to the limited availability of seats on flights to Cancún.

A Global Industry Bottleneck

The situation is not exclusive to Mexico. The global airline industry is going through a production crisis: manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus face delays in aircraft deliveries, which is curbing the expansion of routes and frequencies. For destinations dependent on international tourism, like Cancún, this bottleneck limits their dynamism.

A couple of weeks ago, Darren Hulst, Vice President of Commercial Marketing for Boeing's commercial airplane division, highlighted at a press conference that delivery times for its aircraft have stretched to up to seven years due to high global demand.

Hulst said the company is preparing the ground for a sustained increase in production. "In the future, our goal is to continue increasing the production rate, but in the long term, if the market doubles in size, that means our production has to follow those same trends. That is our opportunity in the long term," said the executive.

Kuri emphasized that this is a "happy problem," because it reflects a demand that exceeds the available air capacity. The challenge, however, is that until the supply of planes normalizes, the region will not be able to capture more tourists, even with ready hotel infrastructure.

The US market remains the main source of visitors to the Riviera Maya, followed by the Canadian and European markets. The expectation that the Tren Maya could redirect flows from other airports, such as Mérida, is present, but is still perceived as a medium-term effect.

"It is an issue that has to mature over time. The Tren Maya connects different sites and will generate interesting volumes, not only for the Riviera Maya but also for other destinations on the peninsula," explained Kuri.

The Opportunity Presented by the 2026 World Cup

Looking ahead to 2030, the group maintains its focus on Quintana Roo, with a master plan that includes hotels, parks, and transportation improvements. "We are maintaining our focus on Quintana Roo and will most likely later expand towards Yucatán, but we are not looking to internationalize it for the moment," the spokesperson clarified.

The 2026 World Cup appears as another potential catalyst. Although Cancún will not host matches, the area expects to receive visitors accompanying national teams or those who take the opportunity to combine soccer and beach. FIFA has even explored having some teams hold training camps in the Riviera Maya, which could provide additional visibility for the destination.

However, Grupo Xcaret agrees with other hoteliers that it does not plan new constructions exclusively for this event, but rather to leverage the infrastructure already in place.

The group's strategy also involves diversifying its tourist base, with a greater focus on Asian and South American markets, where they see growth potential. The gastronomic and cultural portfolio of its hotels and parks seeks to attract these profiles.

"Word of mouth and the vision of Miguel Quintana have managed to make people live a different and unforgettable experience," explained Kuri, describing the group's positioning in the region.

Reputation Amidst Connectivity Challenges

Beyond the current connectivity situation, Grupo Xcaret boasts advances in corporate reputation. In 2024, the company climbed 25 places in the Merco ranking, positioning itself for the first time as the company with the best reputation in tourism services in Mexico.

"This growth has been achieved thanks to a reputational management strategy that addresses both key groups and our conservation projects, from macaws and turtles to corals," said Kuri.

The immediate challenge, however, remains connectivity. While the global airline industry resolves the lack of aircraft, Cancún faces a limit imposed from outside: a tourist demand that cannot be converted into physical arrivals due to a lack of seats in the skies.