Travel + Leisure reveals the winners of its highly anticipated 2024 World's Best Awards, highlighting the best travel destinations and organizations across the globe. Highlights from the worldwide rankings include Best Cities Overall, with San Miguel de Allende, Mexico claiming the title.
Despite a 2.1% overall drop in the total number of terminal passengers at GAP’s 12 Mexican airports in June 2024, the Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara airports presented an increase in passenger traffic of 0.7% and 0.5%, respectively, compared to June 2023.
Jalisco's airports welcomed over 5 million incoming passengers in the first five months of 2024, according to Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico. Guadalajara International Airport received the most traffic, handling 3.4 million passengers, while Puerto Vallarta International Airport welcomed 1.6 million.
During a press conference at the National Palace, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced progress on the Maya Train project. A new section from Escárcega to Chetumal is expected to be completed in August, paving the way for the entire 1,554-kilometer route to be operational by September.
Jalisco's crime rates have seen a substantial decline in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period of 2018. Overall crime rates dropped 23%, with a 62.5% reduction in "special monitoring crimes" – a category that encompasses theft and robbery. Homicides also decreased by 33%.
Jalisco's tourism industry thrived in the first five months of 2023, bringing in 31.8 billion pesos. Puerto Vallarta was the top earner, raking in 17.84 billion pesos, followed by Guadalajara with 11.35 billion pesos. The state welcomed over 13.4 million tourists and boasted a strong average hotel occupancy rate.
Panteras eRacing, a ten-member student team from the Universidad Panamericana's engineering faculty, is developing an electric vehicle prototype to compete in the Shell Eco-marathon 2024. Set to be held from August 27 to 30 in Rio de Janeiro, the competition focuses on promoting sustainable mobility and technological innovation.
The Mexican embassy in the United States received 20 archaeological pieces for repatriation. Nineteen were returned anonymously, and one, a Mayan-style clay vessel, was voluntarily surrendered by Ms. Anne Lee Dozier, who had purchased it for $4 at a thrift store in Maryland.
The first phase of the Tepic International Airport expansion is complete. This transformation goes beyond handling commercial flights. The airport will now accommodate cargo operations and serve as a luxury tourism hub, according to Nayarit's Secretary of Tourism, Juan Enrique Suárez del Real.
A commercial air route using a 13-passenger Cessna Caravan recently took off from Tepic, offering a new way to reach the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve. This collaborative effort between government agencies and private companies marks a significant step towards increased accessibility for the remote islands.