Yucatan, along with its capital city Merida, is in third place among the most popular Mexican tourist destinations booked on Despegar, surpassing Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco and Guadalajara.
Merida grew 41 percent this year in tourist bookings for July and August, just below Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Mexico City, which grew 77 percent and 57 percent respectively.
While growing chiefly in business travel, Merida is an attractive getaway for its architecture and historic sites, both colonial and pre-Hispanic. It is a natural base for travelers exploring Mayan archaeological sites or restored haciendas. Its coastline is also appealing for its sleepy, low-key atmosphere.
Despegar, Latin America’s largest travel agency, said 67 percent of Mexican travelers planning their summer getaways choose domestic destinations, while 33 percent travel abroad.
The very height of the summer season is between July 15 and 28, Despegar said. It officially ends at the end of August, when school resumes.
“This summer Mexicans will visit new destinations that were previously not among their preferences and this is mainly because travelers are exploring other alternatives, which is a great benefit for domestic tourism,” said Ezequiel Rubin, of Despegar’s Mexico office.
Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism expects 9 million tourists to reach domestic destinations this summer.
Source: El Financiero
