Mexico Loses U.S. Tourists to Caribbean Rivals

Cancún — Mexico, and particularly Quintana Roo, have lost ground in the U.S. tourism market to destinations such as Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, which have managed to capture a greater number of visitors thanks to more aggressive promotional campaigns.

Competitors Launch Strategic Campaigns

According to Patricia de la Peña, a representative of the Mexican Association of Vacation Clubs of Quintana Roo (ACLUVAQ), this has been possible due to campaigns funded by their governments, which maintain a presence in strategic locations such as airplanes, among others.

De la Peña stated that this trend highlights the need to diversify tourist experiences and recover the international promotion that once positioned Mexico as a leader in the North American market.

"The key to maintaining tourism leadership lies in diversifying experiences and building a common strategy between the private sector and the federal government," she emphasized.

Market Segments Remain Underutilized

The businesswoman highlighted that there are market segments with great growth potential that have not been sufficiently exploited, including teenagers, travelers with pets, and sports tourism. The latter has the capacity to position the Mexican Caribbean as a venue for tournaments and multidisciplinary competitions, similar to what happens in international destinations like Orlando.

De la Peña stressed that strengthening air and land connectivity, as well as improving promotion and collaborative work between authorities and business owners, will be determining factors in maintaining the competitiveness of the Mexican Caribbean against the new emerging destinations in the region.