To provide an effective information tool for decision-making and tourism promotion of Mérida and Yucatán, the Mérida City Council presented the results of the study “Profile of the Air Passenger Arriving in Mérida” which was carried out in coordination with the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY).
The press conference held at the Municipal Center for Entrepreneurs was attended by the director of Economic Development and Tourism, José Luis Martínez Semerena, the secretary of Tourism Development of Yucatán, Michelle Fridman Hirsch, the president of the Mexican Association of Hotels of Yucatán, Juan José Martín Pacheco, and the director of the Faculty of Anthropological Sciences of the UADY, Rocío Cortés Campos.
Martínez Semerena highlighted that this is a historic event for the City of Mérida because it is the first time that it is being done, at the request of the tourism sector, so they can have an exact idea of how many people are arriving in the state, what the profile of the passengers is, where they are staying, for how many nights, as well as other data that allow them to learn more about the behaviors that generate economic benefits for Mérida and the rest of the Yucatán.
“This work in conjunction with the Faculty of Anthropological Sciences of the UADY is an example of what the City Council does in the area of tourism and, above all, that correct and precise information is aligned with the studies carried out through the Observatory Tourist of Yucatán,” he stated.
Martinez reported that, at the beginning of the municipal administration, the percentage of national and foreign tourism that came to the state was 8%, a figure that today rises to 19%.
“This means that the City Council is making the right decisions regarding the promotion of Mérida, through strategies such as the “Mérida around the World” program, the “Gastronomic Consulates”, and all the actions we have taken to promote Mérida in different parts of the world. world,” he said.
He mentioned that the good results of the city’s tourism promotion are also reflected in the length of the overnight stay, since according to the municipal administration, the average has gone from 1-2 days, to 3-5 days.
“Although these data indicate that we are producing results, with the information from the study we will be able to generate more promotion and marketing strategies focused on attracting more tourism to the places with the greatest demand,” the director of Economic Development and Tourism indicated.
Likewise, the municipal official reported that, before concluding the administration, the City Council and the UADY will carry out the next step of the study, which is to analyze the passenger profile at the bus terminal, which will be done from February to June.
Subsequently, Martinez Semerena delivered the results of the study to the Secretary of Tourism Development of the State Government.
Michelle Fridman Hirsch thanked the City Council and the UADY for preparing the report, as well as for working as a team with all levels of government to guarantee more prosperous growth for Yucatán.
“We hope that the next governments follow up on these promotion strategies that are allowing a greater economic benefit for all economic sectors of the state, as the arrival of more travelers is also beneficial for other sectors, such as construction, transportation, service providers and of course, the food and drink industry,” she continued.
Meanwhile, Martín Pacheco thanked the City Council for carrying out this study that will allow for more precise and efficient strategies in terms of tourism promotion: “as a sector we are willing to continue investing, and having this information allows us to know where and how to do it.”
Regarding the results of the study “Profile of the Air Passenger that arrives in Mérida”, the coordinator of Tourism of the Faculty of Anthropological Sciences of the UADY and in charge of the Project, María Isabel Bolio Rosado, explained that 7, 201 surveys were completed and subsequently analyzed to obtain the following results:
68.5% of respondents do not reside in the state. 65.6% of them are considered tourists and 2.5% of non-residents make a stopover in the city. Of the rest of the respondents, 33.59% do have Yucatán as their residence.
It is worth mentioning that 80.93% of the passengers are national, mainly from Mexico City, Nuevo León, State of Mexico, Jalisco and Veracruz. 19.07% of visitors are international, highlighting those from the United States and Canada.
Of the people surveyed, 87.96% spent the night in the city of Mérida with an average of 3 to 5 days; 3.67% in Progreso and 2.85% do not spend the night, this is because they return to their city of origin on the same day or their final destination is another state.
42.35% of visitors come to the city on vacation, 27.35% for business, 16.65% for family reasons, 3.95% were attending a wedding, and 3.59% were attending a convention held in Mérida.
Regarding tourists in Mérida, 19.40% are interested in culture, 18.64% in archaeological zones, 15.29% in gastronomy, 14.63% in colonial cities and magical towns, 14.60% prefer nature tourism and 6.70% visited the coastal area of the state.
Finally, in relation to accommodation, 52.60% of tourists spend the night in hotels, 24.78% with friends or family, 14.16% stay on Airbnb and 2.65% did not spend the night in the municipality.
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