Chichén Itzá returns to the first place in the national ranking of tourist affluence

Last February, Chichén Itzá once again ranked first in the nation in terms of tourist traffic, after last January it was in third place, due to the protest of ejidatarios, artisans, street vendors and tourist guides of the archaeological zone, which prevented the daily arrival of seven thousand visitors, revealed the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

For 25 months, the site was at the top of the list, but due to the 10-day closure there was a decline in the influx of archaeological tourism, but it has now regained its position.

Last January, Ek’Balam and Mayapán established a monthly record of tourist affluence by receiving 45 thousand tourists, since they were the archaeological sites that benefited the most during the 10 days of the closure of highway 180, specifically the Xcalakoop-Pisté road section.

It is worth remembering that from January 2 to 11, close to 70 thousand tourists did not visit Chichén Itzá, although they were transferred to other archeological sites, such as Mayapán, Izamal and Ek’Balam, generating an economic loss of 20 million pesos in entrance fees.

During the first two months of 2023, the number of archeological and museum tourists in the country was 3,173,147, an increase of 74.03 percent with respect to the same period last year, when the total was 1,823,354.

One million 903,537 people visited the country’s archeological sites alone, of which 353,299 tourists visited Chichen Itza, 18.56 percent, followed by Teotihuacan, State of Mexico, with 344,115 visitors, 18.08 percent, and Tulum, Quintana Roo, with 325,971 visitors, 17.12 percent.

These three sites alone accounted for 53.76 percent of the national total, or slightly more than half.

From September 2020 to date, on five occasions, the capital of the Itzáes has not been in first place in the monthly tables of tourist arrivals.
Therefore, in September and October 2020, Chichén Itzá was in third place, and in November of the same year it was in second place.

From December 2020 and in the 12 months of 2021 and 2022, it remained in first place, but in January 2023 it dropped to third place.

Due to the protest, both Ek’Balam and Mayapán registered a maximum of archaeological tourism arrivals.

Uxmal was in fifth place in the national table of affluence, Ek’Balam in seventh place; Mayapán is in 18th place; Dzibilchaltún in 19th place; Kabah, in 27th place; Xkambó, 38th; Izamal, 46th; Aké, 48th; Labná, 51st; Sayil, 56th; and Oxkintok, 78th.

Finally, after the closure of the sites as a result of Covid-19 on March 23, 2020, the Grutas de Balamcanché and Grutas de Loltún are not yet open to tourism.

TYT Newsroom