Mexico’s traditional spring break king, Cancun, is rebounding quickly from last year’s triple blow to its tourism industry: swine flu, an economic crisis and drug violence.
“Those worries could not compete this year against Mexico’s cheap airfare from the United States and phenomenal package deals that include the popular all-you-can-drink enticements,” says the AP.
Almost 85 percent of its 28,000 rooms filled were filled in February, a sign of Cancun’s speedy recovery from 2009, when one million fewer visitors came than in a typical year. The relatively high occupancy seen in February is expected to go even higher in March when more US universities are on spring break.
"We’re back to normal levels after having seen tourism practically paralyzed last year," said Quintana Roo state assistant tourism secretary Dario Flota.
Tourism officials say they expect about 25,000 spring breakers to descend this season on
Cancun’s newly rebuilt beaches and turquoise blue ocean, compared to the 20,000 spring breakers who visited last year. That is in addition to tourists of all ages who visit throughout the year.
Cancun is not alone in drawing them back.
Destinations across Mexico are seeing tourists return, despite a US travel alert warning Americans to stay away from some parts, mostly in the northern border states, because of drug violence.
By David Wilkening
