Ministry of Tourism Development, in collaboration with private sector and municipalities, offers new and varied tourist activities. Actions carried out by state government continue to give positive figures, maintaining increase in tourist arrivals to the destination, breaking historical records of city airport.
MEXICO – The state of Yucatan is continuing its ongoing efforts to generate new tourist attractions statewide. The state Ministry of Tourism Development (SEFOTUR), together with local municipalities, is working hard to provide tourists with new attractions so they can enjoy maximum enjoyment and activities options during their visit.
Recently, a presentation was made at the Port of Progreso on the new watersports activities in which all tourists may partake. Marine experiences, with more than 100 boats, include tours along the Yucatecan coast, with optional recreational fishing or snorkeling, and even yacht parties. Meanwhile, kayaking and paddle boarding experiences are offered in the El Corchito or Chuburna Reserves, lasting four to five hours with delicious ceviche snack, depending on the route. Visitors can also take theoretical and practical kiteboarding lessons at Progreso Beach in groups of three people.
Other new attractions include Flyboards and Jet Skis. Either may be rented beachside at Progreso, with durations of 15 and 30 minutes for Flyboards and up to an hour for Jet Skis. Due to the tranquil waters of the Yucatan coast, these watersports activities are available throughout the year. Tours are available in Spanish and English, and include life jackets, safety equipment and, in some cases, food (depending on the tour and with advance booking).
State capital Merida, meanwhile, also boasts new tourist attractions. Tourism transport company Grupo Movility ADO, in partnership with SEFOTUR, recently unveiled two bus tours: "TuriCervecero," which highlights the best of Yucatecan craft beer on a tour of three of the most emblematic canteens of the city, and "Turibus de los Sabores," which aims to spread Yucatecan cuisine by exalting the colors and culinary quality of the region. In addition, it offers typical food such as salbutes, papadzules and panuchos,along with traditional drinks such as ramon and lime water with chaya.
Also, as part of the destination promotional strategies, Grupo Movility ADO presented a commemorative bus that is part of the "ADO Rodante Gallery" initiative. The project disseminates the works of Mexican artists through 10 buses that travel the Gulf, the South and Southeast of Mexico, covering more than 12,000 miles and visible to thousands of people on highways and at bus terminals across the country.
Thanks these initiatives, and others carried out in the year following the inauguration of Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, Yucatan continues to see tourism arrivals rise. This is the result of successful promotional strategies that SEFOTUR, led by Ms. Michelle Fridman Hirsch, has implemented hand in hand with the tourism private sector.
As a result of these joint efforts – and in contrast to the majority of Mexico's other states – Yucatan continues to see monthly tourist arrivals rise by the double digits; in fact, April, May and July of this year were historic in terms of visitor arrivals at Merida International Airport.
In July, 257,515 passenger arrivals were registered, the highest monthly figure reported in the airport's 50 years of operations; this represented an increase of 13.63% compared to arrivals in July 2018, when there were 226,633 passengers. As for August, there was a growth of 11.50% compared to last year, with 236,390 arrivals, which means 24,387 more visitors than in August 2018.
In total, from January to August, the airport received a total of 1,836,095 passengers, an increase of 13.52% over the 1,617,382 passengers recorded in the same period the year before.
For the last quarter of the year, a significant increase in arrivals is expected in Yucatan, thanks to promotional activities carried out by SEFOTUR at various national and international events. In particular, the destination is preparing to welcome the thousands of visitors expected to attend the Anima Festival, which runs Oct. 24 to Nov. 12. That will be followed by the long-awaited Xmatkuil Fair 2019, to offer appealing attractions and shows from Nov. 8 to Dec. 1, and the International Trova Festival, scheduled to take place the first weekend in December.
With these events, attractions and much more, Yucatan continues on its path toward positioning itself as one of the best destinations to visit in not only Mexico but the entire world.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
