Quintana Roo Set to Compete with Las Vegas in Hotel Room Total
Get ready to kick back and relax, because Quintana Roo's hotel scene is about to rival the high-rolling Las Vegas strip! According to the state Tourism Ministry (Sedetur), Quintana Roo is on track to surpass 140,000 hotel rooms in the next five years, eclipsing Las Vegas's current hotel room capacity of 145,000.
As of now, this southeastern Mexican gem, famous for its beautiful Caribbean coastline, boasts over 135,000 rooms across nearly 1,500 hotels, reflecting a 9.2% growth rate since 2022. Last year alone, the state added more than 4,000 new rooms, with major new hotel openings planned, such as the H10 Costa Mujeres and Hotel Riu Ventura Cancún, along with the recently inaugurated Grupo Meliá Hotel in Cancún.
A Tourism Powerhouse in the Making
This expansion cements Quintana Roo's position as Mexico and the Caribbean's leading tourism offering, driving hotel growth nationwide. If the state does indeed surpass Las Vegas's hotel offer, it will mark its ascension as one of the world's most important tourist destinations.
Governor Mara Lezama attributes Quintana Roo's growth to investor confidence in the sustainable and diversified tourism model championed by her government. "These developments are part of the New Era of Tourism, where we work to guarantee shared well-being and prosperity, ensuring that no one is left out of Quintana Roo's tourism destination," Lezama said.
A Tourism Golden Goose
The state's tourism sector is also renowned for attracting foreign investment. Last year, Quintana Roo captured four out of every 10 dollars invested in Mexico's tourism industry, making it the leading destination for foreign investment nationwide in the first half of 2024. In total, the state raised US $420 million, in addition to the US $700 million pledged by the Xcaret hotel group.
Catching Up with the Big Leagues
Despite these impressive projections, Quintana Roo and the rest of the Mexican Caribbean lag behind other Caribbean destinations in terms of tourism growth rates. Last year, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Jamaica recorded visitor growth rates higher than those of the Mexican Caribbean in recent years.
Francisco Madrid Flores, head of the Center for Advanced Research in Sustainable Tourism (STARC) at Anáhuac University in Cancún, predicts a full recovery of tourism for Mexico in 2025, but notes that beach destinations will continue to see a 2% decline in visitors. He suggests authorities must address several issues, such as immigration protocols and institutional promotion, in order to prevent Mexico from continuing to lose market share to other destinations.
[1] [2] [3] Sources: El Economista, Conectando Negocios and Quintana Roo Hoy
FYI, Quintana Roo's expansion piqued interest from heavyweights like Royal Caribbean Group, which has pledged a whopping $1.5 billion to develop cruise and tourism facilities in the state, further fueling its appeal to investors.
Additionally, Cozumel's tourism infrastructure saw a recent $12 million USD investment, solidifying its status as a key Caribbean cruise destination attracting global real estate and tourism investors. This investment followed the island's reception of over 4.6 million cruise passengers in 2024, making it one of the busiest cruise ports globally.
Quintana Roo's strategy of prioritizing sustainable and diversified tourism features and shared prosperity goals sets it apart from some other Caribbean locations that focus more on rapid tourism expansion. This approach may position Quintana Roo for balanced future growth, ultimately differentiating it from destinations driven by mass tourism.
Source: El Economista, Conectando Negocios and Quintana Roo Hoy
- In the next five years, Quintana Roo aims to surpass Las Vegas in hotel room capacity, not only rivaling high-profile destinations like Las Vegas but potentially becoming one of the world's most important tourist destinations.
- As the state's tourism sector continues to expand, attracting significant foreign investment, it is poised to catch up with other leading Caribbean destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, and Jamaica in terms of tourism growth rates.
