Mexico City - A total of 750 cruise ships have called on Mexico's principal tourist ports in the first quarter of this year, up 2.1 per cent from the same period last year.

"Cozumel and Majahual, in Quintana Roo; Cabo San Lucas, in Baja California Sur; Ensenada, in Baja California; and Puerto Vallarta, in Jalisco, are the ports that welcomed the most tourists in the first quarter of the year," the Tourism Secretariat said in a statement.

"In this period, 1,940,296 cruise passengers arrived in Mexican ports," the Communications and Transportation Secretariat said.

Tourists spent an average of $75 USD per person in Mexico's ports, with spending rising to an average of $120 in Cozumel, the Tourism Secretariat said.

Spending in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta averaged $95 USD per person.

A total of 2,175 ships and 5.92 million foreign tourists are expected to visit Mexico's ports by the end of 2016, the Tourism Secretariat said.