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WTM 2019: Yucatán tourist numbers up 17.6%

The Mexican state of Yucatán is celebrating an “amazing” year of tourism after seeing a 17.6% increase in visitors from last year.

The region’s minister of tourism Michelle Fridman said Yucatán had witnessed some of the highest levels of growth in Mexico, with international tourism coming “mostly from Europe and north America”.

Fridman put the increase in tourism down to the state’s safety levels and its wealth of “authentic” assets, which she said included “the living culture of the Mayans, colonial cities, thousands of archaeological sites, plenty of haciendas, and over 3,600 cenotes”.

“Something really good is going on in Yucatan,” she said.

“First of all, the safeness – it’s the safest state in Mexico and for context, our safety levels are comparable to Sweden and Finland. [Capital city] Mérida just won second place as the safest city in the continent.

“Plus it has everything to offer from a tourist point of view – it has culture, gastronomy, adventure, nature, wellness, luxury.

“It was a very well-kept secret until now, because we’ve been promoting it a lot and, mostly, explaining the difference with Cancun and the rest of the peninsula.”

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