Isla Mujeres Tourism Boom Predicted for December

The hotels and beach clubs on Isla Mujeres and Costa Mujeres are preparing to welcome an estimated 930,000 tourists this December. The majority of these visitors, approximately 64.83 percent, are expected to visit the island due to its popularity as a mass tourism destination.

However, the Quintana Roo Integral Port Administration (Apiqroo) has reported an 11.34 percent decrease in passenger traffic at the island's maritime terminal in November, compared to the same period last year. The total number of users dropped to 406,476 from 447,031 in 2023. This downturn is viewed as a negative indicator for the year-end figures.

Furthermore, it is not anticipated that the number of travelers will surpass the 517,331 recorded last December. In response to these trends, local businesses have adjusted their operating hours.

Tour operators are also ramping up their promotional efforts to attract visitors to the island's 15 beach clubs. They offer a variety of packages to accommodate all budgets. The goal is to transport 3,000 tourists to the clubs each day, maintaining an average capacity of 65 percent, barring any weather-related restrictions imposed by the Port Authorities.

Such restrictions are expected to occur on Thursday, with the arrival of the 14th Cold Front of the season, bringing north winds of up to 45 km/h, according to weather forecasts.

Costa Mujeres is projected to surpass its previous December occupancy rate of 86.6 percent, attracting approximately 327,000 guests to its 9,166 available rooms. Similarly, Isla Mujeres aims to match or exceed its previous occupancy rate of 78 percent, accommodating 80,370 guests in its 1,662 rooms.

At the Apiqroo terminal, they are preparing to handle 500,000 passengers, which includes both overnight tourists and island residents.