Cancun Celebrates its 42th Birthday
Since its inception, this magnificent strip of Caribbean coastline was designed to be one of the most important tourism destinations in Mexico, inviting international and national visitors to experience a taste of what Mexico truly is: flavor, color, culture, landscapes, nature, and its famous warmth and hospitality.
Today, Cancun is a multicultural destination where people from all over the world go to bask in the sun on powdery-sand beaches, relax at world-class hotels, swim in the turquoise ocean water, enjoy one of the world's most important gastronomic destinations, visit ancient Mayan temples and experience unparalleled adventure activities!
In 1967, Cancun was an uninhabited paradise made up of mangroves and unexplored beaches. The founders of Cancun had a dream to take this vast stretch of beach and turn it into a beautiful beach destination – which became a reality in 1970.
From the beginning, the Bank of Mexico and several other financial institutions worked together to invest in the project, which included a large loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to develop Cancun's infrastructure.
As of 2011, Cancun receives over 3 million tourists every year, of which 65 percent are international visitors. Cancun's tourism infrastructure, which includes the second largest airport in the country, with four 5-star hotels, a growing number of world-class golf sites, and ample options for group business, is able to accommodate a wide variety of travelers.
Throughout its 42 years of existence, Cancun has always offered its visitors unique experiences and some of the world's most popular attractions. Whether swimming with whale sharks during the summer months, getting an adrenaline rush on a zip line through the jungle, discovering mystic Mayan communities, delighting your taste buds with Cancun's varied gastronomic offering, diving into an Underwater Museum or simply enjoying some always needed R&R, Cancun is the ideal destination for every kind of traveler.
This year, Cancun is celebrating the year of the Mayas, as we close out the traditional Mayan calendar and welcome a new era. Cancun is embracing a "new beginning," which invites locals and guests to think different and behave different by exploring the evolution of humanity, and redefining our experience in the land of the Mayans.
This is the perfect time to come to Cancun to recharge your energies under the Caribbean sun, embrace a civilization that studies show dates back to 2600 BC while marveling at the ancient Mayan ruins or challenge yourself to experience something you've never done before like swim with a whale shark or dive into a cenote.
As we get closer to 12-21-12, the last day of the Mayan calendar, Cancun will announce celebrations throughout the destination to welcome in the new era. Just as Times Square in New York City is the most exciting place to ring in a new year, Cancun is the only place you'll want to be to celebrate the beginning of a new era.
Cancun continues to evolve every year, offering new events and activities, and opening new hotels, while continuously offering what made Cancun the ideal vacation destination 42 years ago – pristine beaches and the world's most beautiful turquoise waters.
