During the first seven months of the year, major airports such as Cancún and Puerto Vallarta registered significant declines in international passenger traffic.
Cancún International Airport suffered a 5 percent annual decline in passenger traffic, while Puerto Vallarta Airport saw a 4.9 percent decline, according to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC).
With these performances from January to July of this year, international passenger traffic carried by the country’s main airports virtually stagnated, registering only 0.1 percent annual growth, with 37 million 414 thousand international travelers.
Fernando Gómez, an airline industry specialist, commented that the slow growth in international passenger traffic is primarily due to the immigration policies imposed by the administration of Donald Trump, President of the United States.
He added that the international economy is also contributing to the decline in traveler traffic, as in Brazil and Chile, nations that are also significantly affected by the US tariffs, which are impacting their domestic economy.
Referring to the drop in international traffic at the Puerto Vallarta airport, he indicated that it is strange that it has registered a contraction, a negative result not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This decline is strange given that it is normal for this airport to see a surge during the high season due to the attraction of international tourists from North America,” he explained.
Regarding the Cancún airport, Gómez indicated that another factor that has influenced the lower international traveler traffic is that some travelers are choosing to arrive in the Riviera Maya through Tulum International Airport, a terminal that has taken travelers away from it.
Juan Antonio José, an airline industry specialist, emphasized that the decline in international travel is multifactorial, with factors such as the perception of insecurity in the country and alerts issued by governments such as the United States also having an impact.
“Another factor is the peso. While it has remained stable, Mexico has lost competitiveness in terms of prices due to the exchange rate, as it has become a more expensive destination. Added to this are economic problems in the United States and other nations such as Canada and the European Union. So the low growth in international travelers is multifactorial,” he said.
When asked about the declines recorded in Cancún and Puerto Vallarta, he highlighted that these are two destinations that have been affected by the climate of insecurity, and in the case of the former, the wave of sargassum that has been particularly noticeable this year.
“We will continue to observe this trend of low growth in international traffic; for the remainder of the year, we will see a decrease in demand from the United States,” he pointed out.
Source: reforma
