Occupancy up 8 pct: Sectur

Published on Thursday, 27 September 2012 05:09

THE NEWS

MEXICO CITY – The Tourism Secretariat (Sectur) reported that over the first 37 weeks of the year, hotel occupancy in the country’s popular tourist destinations saw an increase of 8 percent in comparison with the same period last year. There was a 5.6 percent increase in occupancy over the same period in 2008, which was previously Mexico’s best year in terms of tourism.

Data from the 70 destinations monitored by Sectur’s Datatur system from Jan. 1 through Sept. 16 shows that national and international tourists stayed in 185,000 rooms per day. Mexico’s tourist destinations have reported 16 months of continuous growth.

Over the Jan. 1-Sept. 16 period, the following coastal destinations recorded increases in room occupancy over the previous year: La Riviera Maya, with an 8.9 percent increase; Cancun, 10.4; Acapulco, 7.9; Los Cabos, 3.8; and Puerto Vallarta, 17.5. Over the same period Nuevo Vallarta’s room occupancy grew 6 percent; Ixtapa, 5.2; Cozumel, 7.1; Manzanillo, 3.4; and Huatulco, 6.8. Room occupancy rates also went up in Mexico’s larger cities. Guadalajara saw an 11 percent increase; Monterrey, 15.9; and Mexico City, 9.4. Non-coastal cities recorded an average 7.2 percent year-on-year growth in room occupancy.

Over the period, Puebla registered a 7.8 percent increase; León, 14.4; Querétaro, 14.2; San Luis Potosí, 13; Aguascalientes, 10.4; and Villahermosa, 21.4.