The Carnival Fantasy in Progreso last year.Some of Mexico’s cruise ship ports enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2019.
The port at Cozumel, Quintana Roo, welcomed 1,461,778 passengers, more than any previous year, representing growth of 18% over 2018. The number of cruise ship arrivals was up 22% to 403.
Federal Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco tweeted last July that Cozumel was the No. 1 port for cruise ship passengers in Mexico, welcoming over half (50.8%) of the country’s cruise tourists.
The second most popular port was Mahahual, Quintana Roo, with 18.7% of cruise ship visitors, followed by Ensenada, Baja California, with 7.4%, Los Cabos 6.3% and Puerto Vallarta 5.8%.
Progreso, Yucatán, broke its own record for visitors as 472,263 passengers disembarked from 146 cruise ships, 6.2% more visitors than the previous year.
Port authorities said there was a record number of passengers during the week of December 15-21 when 14,282 disembarked to enjoy the town’s beaches and tourist services.
The Yucatán Secretariat of Tourism Promotion (Sefotur) said there are 24 cruise ship arrivals planned for the month of January.
The government has undertaken several initiatives to improve Progreso’s image and the services it has to offer cruise ship tourists and residents alike.
A 60-million-peso (US $3.1-million) makeover of the port last year included road repairs, underground electrical wiring, new garbage trucks, green recreation spaces and the renovation of the Progreso House of Culture.
Sources: Diario de Yucatán (sp) Info Transportes (sp)
