RIVIERA MAYA STARTS THE YEAR WITH NEW DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND ANNOUNCES STATISTICS AND TRENDS FOR 2006

Javier Aranda Pedrero became Director of Tourism for the Riviera Maya Tourism Promotion Board (FPTRM). Aranda Pedrero joined FPTRM following his work as Under Secretary of Tourism Promotion for the Tourism Secretariat in Quintana Roo and has extensive experience in the tourism industry in both private and public sectors for over 20 years. As Director of Tourism, Aranda Pedrero said that his strategy would include marketing and promotional efforts to draw even greater interest from the top markets for Riviera Maya, the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe. He said “It is my goal to ensure that the Strategic Promotion Plan for 2007 will be continued and that in the year ahead we will strive to exceed expectations and keep the Riviera Maya among the top destinations worldwide.”
 

Recently released by the Riviera Maya Tourism Promotion Board, the 2006 tourism statistics and trends revealed that the Riviera Maya is again a hot destination for 2007. The final numbers reported a 20.7 percent increase in tourist arrivals for 2006 (welcoming approximately 2.673 people) compared to 2005, and almost 10 percent compared to 2004. This growth in tourism to the Riviera Maya equates to almost five times more than the international index, since worldwide tourism increased by 4.5 percent in 2006 according to statistics reported by the UN World Tourism Organization.

The Riviera Maya Tourism Promotion Board noted that 2005 was an unusual year due to hurricanes Emily and Wilma, which is why it is also important compare 2006 numbers to statistics from 2004. The increase in tourist arrivals in 2006 as compared to 2004 was 9.5 percent, which equates to double the growth rate of worldwide tourism.

Tourism increases are also evident in Riviera Maya’s hotel room inventory, which has reached 30,705 rooms in 2006, compared to 26,980 available rooms in 2005 and 23,512 in 2004. In terms of hotel occupancy, 2006 showed an increase to 71.9 percent occupancy as compared to 74.5 percent occupancy in 2005, although not quite reaching 2004 occupancy of 86.4 percent. However, room night occupancies had a considerable increase in 2006 as compared to 2004, reaching 7.889 million occupied room nights in 2006 versus 7.151 million in 2004.

The U.S. continues to be the leading country of origin for tourism to the Riviera Maya, accounting for nearly 45 percent of the 2.6 million arrivals, followed by Europe with 27.95 percent, Canada with 16.41 percent and Mexico with 10.40 percent.

Based on the outstanding statistics for 2006, nearly three million tourists are expected to visit the Riviera Maya in 2007 with occupancy reaching approximately 78 percent. Forecasts for 2007 also show an increase in the number of hotel rooms to 34,113.

Easily accessible from many cities throughout the U.S., the eighty-one mile stretch known as the Riviera Maya is situated in the Mexican Caribbean on the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Beginning eleven miles south of the Cancun International Airport in Puerto Morelos, the Riviera Maya extends to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, a small town near the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. The region features the tranquility of uncrowded beaches, a vast network of underground rivers, over 100 cenotes, the action of eco-adventure sports including kayaking, mountain biking, scuba diving, snorkeling, trekking, bird watching and deep sea fishing, proximity to many of Mexico’s most significant Mayan archeological sites, the varied activities of the eco-archeological parks, plus golf courses, shopping, gourmet dining and a range of accommodations to suit every lifestyle and budget. The Riviera Maya has been named a Top Destination in Mexico for three consecutive years by Travel Weekly (2004, 2005 and 2006) and was also featured in the January 2006 issue of Travel + Leisure as “The Next Riviera.”

For more information on the Riviera Maya call 1-877-7GO MAYA, e-mail info@rivieramaya.com or visit www.rivieramaya.com