Tulum and other villages that spellbind tourists

During the first quarter of the year, Tulum, Bacalar, and Isla Mujeres were among the top 10 Pueblos Magicos (Magical Towns) to visit in Mexico, mainly for domestic tourism.

According to a report by the travel agency Despegar, Tulum is the top domestic destination, attracting 62% of visitors. Bacalar ranked third with 94% of Mexican visitors, while Isla Mujeres came in ninth with 34% of local tourists.

Alejandro Sanchez, the manager of Loyalty and Financial Alliances at Despegar, emphasized that Mexico’s tourism offer has become more diverse, which has undoubtedly helped boost local tourism in communities. On average, 8.5 million Mexican travelers arrive at hotels located in these destinations, according to data from the Secretary of Tourism.

“It is important to highlight that the 10 destinations considered as Pueblos Magicos had the highest number of travel reservations in the first quarter of the year, led by Tulum, San Cristobal de las Casas, and Bacalar,” he added.

In the three Quintana Roo tourist destinations, the majority of tourists are domestic. Despegar’s analysis showed that in the case of Tulum, the main travelers were Mexicans, accounting for 62% of visitors, followed by Chileans (15%), Brazilians (7%), Argentinians (7%), and Americans (3%), making it a destination that also attracts cultural tourists.

In Bacalar, the behavior of travelers was: Mexicans (94%), Americans (3%), Panamanians (2%), Argentinians and Brazilians (1% each). Meanwhile, in the case of Isla Mujeres, visitors from the neighboring country lead with 38%, followed by Mexicans (34%), Panamanians (15%), Argentinians (7%), and Chileans (1%).

Despegar stated that six out of ten Mexican travelers prefer to travel to colonial Pueblos Magicos. Additionally, the average stay in these places is three to five days.