WTTC Urges Quintana Roo to Diversify Beyond Sun and Beach

Mexico holds the fourth position worldwide for the economic contribution from leisure travel, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. The WTTC's president, Gloria Guevara, presented the data in Quintana Roo, stating the country still has room to increase its share of global tourism.

Guevara highlighted that maintaining this trend depends on Mexico's ability to improve connectivity, help visitor arrivals, and strengthen international promotion. The ranking places Mexico above other major tourism economies and reflects the impact of leisure travelers on consumption, investment, and employment.

Quintana Roo's Strategic Role and Air Connectivity

In this scenario, Quintana Roo maintains a strategic role due to the scale of its tourism infrastructure and its connections to key international source markets. During a press conference at the Le Blanc hotel, Guevara noted the state has possibilities to expand its air connectivity, particularly with destinations on the U.S. West Coast and various points in Europe.

She stated there is demand from travelers interested in visiting the Mexican Caribbean. While Quintana Roo currently has an extensive network of connections and significant hotel capacity, the WTTC president believes there is still room to attract a greater volume of visitors through new international routes.

The evolution of global aviation presents a challenge, however. Airlines are modifying their operations due to factors like aircraft availability, geopolitical changes, and competition from other transport modes, such as high-speed trains in Europe. For tourist destinations, this means greater competition to retain and expand their connections.

Diversifying Products and Experiences

The potential of Quintana Roo is not limited to traditional sun-and-beach tourism. Diversifying products and experiences represents another path to broaden its appeal and better distribute the benefits of tourism activity.

Segments with growth possibilities include gastronomy, cultural tourism, sports tourism, health tourism, and community-based tourism. In the latter case, the model developed in Felipe Carrillo Puerto was identified as an experience that can generate new alternatives for communities and regions with a tourism vocation.

Meetings tourism also constitutes a strength for Quintana Roo, due to the infrastructure available for congresses, conventions, and other events. This segment allows the destination to attract visitors during different times of the year and broaden economic spillover.

Promotion, Facilitation, and Global Outlook

The WTTC president also raised the need to increase Mexico's tourism promotion efforts to compete with destinations making strong investments to attract international travelers, including Turkey, Thailand, Spain, and France. She warned that promotion must be part of a broader strategy that includes connectivity, development of new products, infrastructure, and differentiated experiences.

Travel facilitation is another challenge. Internationally, the WTTC promotes mechanisms like the use of biometrics and more agile immigration and customs processes, aiming to reduce times and improve passenger experience. The organization also keeps among its priorities the impact of artificial intelligence and new technologies on tourism, as well as productivity, employment, and the international mobility of talent.

Global perspectives point to a sustained expansion of the industry. According to the estimates presented, world tourism could reach a contribution close to 12 trillion dollars and sustain around 376 million jobs. In this context, Mexico's fourth position in leisure travel represents a competitive advantage, but also a challenge: converting that leadership into greater investment, connectivity, and experience generation. For Quintana Roo, the scenario offers an opportunity to expand markets, diversify its offering, and keep the Mexican Caribbean among the most relevant destinations in the global industry.