Mexico boosts maritime tourism with record passenger totals

02-02-2026

In a year shaped by global challenges and adjustments to traveler-fee policies, Mexico closed 2025 with a remarkable performance in its cruise tourism segment, consolidating its position as one of the most dynamic maritime destinations in the Americas. According to recent official data, the country welcomed 11.2 million cruise passengers throughout 2025, representing a 12% increase compared with the figures recorded in 2024. This sustained growth not only underscores the sector’s resilience, but also highlights Mexico’s ability to attract significant international visitor flows through its ports and maritime routes.

This year-on-year expansion reflects, in part, stronger cruise activity in Mexico’s leading port destinations and the continued diversification of routes across both the Pacific coastline and the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean areas. Operationally, Mexico recorded 3,156 cruise calls in 2025, with a higher share of vessels and passengers than the previous year. The trend points to growing international preference for itineraries that include Mexican destinations as key stops and, in some cases, embarkation and disembarkation points. The data also suggest a slight increase in the average number of passengers per ship, a change that may be linked to larger vessel capacity or improved occupancy levels across the season.

The positive results for cruise tourism unfolded within a broader context of strengthening travel performance in Mexico during 2025. The country also posted significant gains in international arrivals by air and land over the same period, contributing to historically high visitor volumes. In particular, Mexico surpassed 79 million international visitors between January and November 2025, with double-digit growth compared with the same period in the previous year, providing additional context for the momentum seen in cruise travel as part of a wider tourism upswing.

At a regional level, the availability and capacity of ports able to receive cruise ships has been a decisive factor. In the Mexican Caribbean, Cozumel and Mahahual remained among the most prominent destinations, concentrating millions of passengers and hundreds of calls throughout the year. On the Pacific side, ports such as Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas also reported notable advances in cruise passenger arrivals, further consolidating routes and strengthening connectivity with major global cruise lines. This reinforcement across different regions not only broadens Mexico’s maritime offering, but also helps distribute the economic benefits associated with cruise activity.

The strong performance of Mexico’s cruise segment also occurred amid regulatory and fiscal adjustments that sparked discussion within the industry and among public-sector stakeholders. In late 2024, a specific tourism charge for cruise passengers was approved and scheduled to take effect in 2025, initially raising concerns about Mexico’s competitiveness relative to other cruise destinations across the Caribbean and Latin America. However, the phased implementation of the measure and the agreements reached with cruise operators allowed passenger flows to continue rising, easing the negative effects that some observers had anticipated.

The strength of cruise tourism has a direct impact on local and regional economies. The arrival of millions of travelers driven by maritime itineraries generates economic spillover across multiple sectors, including ground transportation, port services, retail activity, and recreational offerings in coastal destinations. This multiplier effect is especially valuable for communities that depend heavily on international tourism, reinforcing the importance of an integrated policy approach that combines port infrastructure, operational facilitation, and effective promotion strategies.

With these results, Mexico not only strengthens its standing as a strategic destination within the global cruise market, but also lays the groundwork to continue increasing passenger volumes in the years ahead, positioning maritime tourism as a key component of economic growth and the country’s international profile in the travel sector.

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