By Ian Campbell

A record-breaking 599,798 passengers traveled through Cozumel Airport in 2004, up almost a quarter on 2003 when there were 482,305.

Alejandro Vales, director of the airport, said the airport’s maximum capacity is still “far from being reached” and that with proper adaptations the numbers can be increased further.

The jump in numbers is due to US tourists looking to visit Mexican beach destinations in the winter and efforts by Cozumel’s tourism industry to attract more vacationers world-wide.United Airlines started a new direct route from Chicago last month. Carlos Bragado, United’s spokesman in Mexico, said “there is an increase in demand on the part of the US customer for Mexican beach destinations”. Delta Airlines are also starting new flights from Atlanta in March and American Airlines plan to increase the frequency of their Dallas route threefold this month.

But it’s not just US customers that are flying into Cozumel. Spanish operator Pullman Turs started flying its Boeing 747-300s from Madrid last November and British operator First Choice will begin flying from England in May.

Vales explained how ASUR, the south east Mexican airport authority that runs Cozumel Airport, has been working closely with the Cozumel Hotel Association and the Cozumel Municipal Tourism Authority, traveling to North America and Europe to attract more business. He said that the response on trips had been positive and that Cozumel as a destination was “heating up”.Cozumel Airport’s runways were first built in the Second World War. Since then it has not only welcomed package-vacationers but also the Queen of England, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, three of the richest people in the world.

About the author: Ian F. Campbell is a freelance journalist based in Cozumel. See: yourcontactintheamericas.com.

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