Mérida, Yucatán — The city is the country’s second most-requested destination among people planning to celebrate New Year’s Eve, according to a major online travel planning platform.
The capital of Yucatán is only behind Cancun, but above other more famous destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Puebla or Tijuana.
The data came from Expedia‘s analytics, according to, Carolina Piber, the company’s marketing chief.
Expedia is one of the main travel reservations platforms used in Mexico.
Its data reveals that Mérida is one of the most-searched destinations in the country all year long. That is reflected in an increase in visitors who seek the city’s unique gastronomy, culture and ecology.
But Mérida is not thought of as a party city. The Mexican Caribbean and the Pacific coastal zone traditionally attracts a greater number of travelers looking to celebrate the New Year’s Eve.
The state secretary of tourist development, Saul Ancona Salazar, celebrated the news and reminded reporters that the region has seen record tourism numbers, mainly domestic travelers. The agency estimates that tourism has generated 8 billion pesos into the economy in 2017.
On both a city and state level, tourism officials have worked to professionalize the industry to meet the demands of growingly sophisticated travelers. Improved air connectivity was also cited.
Outside the capital, Valladolid, Izamal and Progreso also report healthy tourist numbers.
And for the first time, Yucatán’s archaeological zones exceeded 3 million visitors this year.
Source: Press release
