Mexico Opens Port of Chiapas to Cruise Tourism

The recent opening of the Port of Chiapas highlights the growing importance of cruise tourism for Mexico. The facility will join more than two dozen port cities in the country. Offering access to the nearby Panama Canal, Puerto Chiapas provides an interesting variation on current trans-canal cruises for the market.

In 2005, the Mexican Government invested more than $7 million in the development of the Port of Chiapas, which is expected to receive a significant number of cruise calls in 2006. In fact, the authorities are hoping it will give a big boost to tourism generally.

According to recent statistics released by Mexico´s Tourism Secretariat (SECTUR), between January and November 2005, 5.4 million travelers arrived to Mexico by cruise ship, up 4.4 percent over 2004.

Among the most visited is the Port of Cozumel, located south of Cancun and which was devastated by Hurricane Wilma. Other cruise port stops in Mexico include Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Veracruz, Mazatlan, Manzanillo, Huatulco, Ensenada and Campeche.