“Quintana Roo Breaks Records with Cruise Ship Surge”

Between January 1 and May 15 this year, 556 cruise ships docked at the ports of Quintana Roo, marking a 7% annual increase. This influx of cruise ships brought a total of 1,960,405 passengers to the region's docks.

Governor Mara Lezama and the general director of the Integral Port Administration (Apiqroo), Vagner Elbiorn, praised the performance of Quintana Roo's ports from the docks of Cozumel. Lezama recalled that in 2023, Cozumel welcomed 4,089,054 cruise passengers, solidifying its status as a global leader in cruise tourism.

She also projected that this figure would rise by an additional 400,000 visitors in 2024. Lezama highlighted that Apiqroo has achieved a significant milestone by directly operating passenger and ferry terminals at strategic locations throughout the state.

After eight years of procedural work, the guidelines for this transition were published in September 2023. These guidelines cover the ports of Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Punta Sam, Puerto Juárez, and Chetumal.

On the topic of port security, Lezama announced the introduction of more cameras with facial biometric comparison technology. Cozumel is set to be the first port in Mexico to implement this advanced technology, a video surveillance and cybersecurity system used in major ports in the United States and Europe.

In addition to this, the technological equipment and video surveillance have been upgraded. The terminals are now equipped with security arches and state-of-the-art closed-circuit television, monitored 24/7.

As previously reported, Cozumel is a national leader in cruise arrivals. This is evidenced by the arrival of over 500 ships during the first four months of the year.