Quintana Roo Courts European Airlines to Boost Winter Flights to Cancún

Cancún, Quintana Roo — State officials are negotiating with European airlines to add routes and increase flight frequencies to the Mexican Caribbean ahead of the coming winter season, in a push to draw more visitors to the region.

The talks took place at the IFTM Top Resa tourism trade fair in Paris, where a Quintana Roo delegation held meetings with several carriers.

Tourism Secretary Bernardo Cueto Riestra said France remains one of the state’s leading European markets, generating more than 200,000 visitors a year. He noted that French travelers move around the destination extensively: about 75 percent take guided tours and more than 90 percent visit archaeological sites.

During the international gathering, the Quintana Roo delegation met with Air France, Air Caraïbes, Iberojet and Neos to strengthen air links with Europe. In the case of Air France, which will mark 15 years of service to Cancún, the aim is to consolidate its frequencies during the winter season.

Cueto Riestra said the state is also pursuing a strategy to restore and expand air connectivity from Europe, the United States, Canada and South America, while reinforcing domestic routes. Among the new connections under consideration are direct flights between Cancún and Los Cabos, and between Cancún and Acapulco.

He attributed part of the current squeeze on seat availability to the operating costs airlines face, mainly the price of jet fuel. Still, he said talks with the carriers point to more frequencies and operations starting in October, with the goal of lifting hotel occupancy and boosting economic activity.

Europe accounts for more than one million visitors to the Mexican Caribbean, and roughly 60 percent of European tourists who travel to Mexico choose the region as their destination.

Tourism promotion will continue in South America, where Quintana Roo will take part in specialized events in Argentina and Brazil aimed at strengthening source markets and exploring new air connectivity opportunities.