Mexican Caribbean Delegation Attends Tourism Trade Fair With World Cup Focus

Cancún, Quintana Roo — A delegation of 36 businesses from the Mexican Caribbean is attending the Tianguis Turístico tourism trade fair, aiming to promote the region as a strategic hub for visitors during the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

Andrés Martínez Reynoso, director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, said the delegation has already scheduled meetings with airlines to boost connectivity, particularly from South America, which is expected to send the largest number of fans to host cities for the tournament.

Officials will also meet with U.S. companies to review flight contracts for the second half of the year, following an initial review earlier this year at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) in Spain.

“We are evaluating where things stand and what we can adapt, with an eye toward the World Cup and the expected influx from Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, where we already have strong connectivity,” Martínez Reynoso said.

He also announced that summer will see the reactivation of flights from Europe, another region expected to send large numbers of fans.

“This summer we will have flights from Italy, the Czech Republic, and Poland, in addition to regular flights from major cities like the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, all of which have national teams with large fan bases,” he added.

The goal is to increase flight frequencies to Cancún, leveraging the Mexican Caribbean’s status as the only destination with connections to all 16 World Cup host cities.

Quintana Roo aims to position itself as a strategic hub for connectivity, lodging, and tourist services during the global sporting event. To support this, officials have developed the “Stopover In Cancún” slogan, emphasizing the possibility for fans to attend World Cup matches while staying at resorts in the Mexican Caribbean.

The objective is for Cancún to serve as the entry point for at least 40% of the 5.5 million visitors expected in Mexico for the World Cup. While many will travel onward to other cities, officials anticipate at least 1 million may stay at resorts in the region.