Quintana Roo Tourism Activity Slips 0.8% Despite Cruise Boom

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Economic activity in Quintana Roo’s services and tourism sector fell 0.8% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, even as the state continued to draw millions of visitors and a rising tide of cruise passengers, according to data from INEGI, the national statistics agency.

The decline, measured by INEGI’s Quarterly Indicator of State Economic Activity (ITAEE), contrasts with national figures showing the country’s tourism GDP grew 0.4% over the previous quarter and 0.8% year-on-year during the same period.

INEGI published its Quarterly Indicators of Tourism Activity (ITAT) for the second quarter on Nov. 4. The agency notes that the report covers only national figures and does not break out results by state, so analysts track Quintana Roo’s performance through the state-level ITAEE and reports from the state Tourism Department (Sedetur).

Goods Production Drives National Growth

The national tourism GDP expansion was powered entirely by goods production, which rose 3.3% from the previous quarter. Services, by contrast, slipped 0.2% quarter-on-quarter and 0.7% year-on-year. Inbound tourism consumption nationwide contracted 13.4% year-on-year.

In Quintana Roo, tertiary activities — a category that includes retail, lodging and food preparation — declined 0.8% at an annual rate, pointing to slower occupancy and spending than a year earlier.

Visitor Numbers Stay High

Despite the weaker economic reading, the Mexican Caribbean kept drawing large crowds. From January through May 2026, the state recorded 8.55 million overnight tourists. Cruise traffic proved the strongest driver, with arrivals at Quintana Roo ports up 11% year-on-year and surpassing 3.82 million passengers and crew members.

Travelers from the United States made up 35.8% of visitors, while domestic Mexican tourists accounted for 32% and Canadians 16.3%, according to the state’s market breakdown.

State Expects Second-Half Rebound

Sedetur officials said they expect a recovery in the second half of the year and are holding to a target of more than 28 million visitors across all state destinations by the end of 2026.