According to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the number of visitors to Yucatán’s archaeological sites and museums decreased by 17.9% in May compared to the same month last year. This is due to the closure of four pre-Hispanic cities, which affected overall attendance.
The statistics show that in May 2024, there were 174,582 registered visits, while in May 2023, there were 212,512 visitors, resulting in a difference of 37,930 people more who visited last year.
As for the cumulative number of visitors to INAH-administered spaces from January to May this year, it stands at 1,331,712. Chichén Itzá, one of the most popular sites, attracted 1,165,346 visitors, making it the most visited site in the country.
Of the 174,582 visits registered in May, 168,205 corresponded to the 13 open archaeological sites (96.35%), while 6,377 were to museums (3.65%). Additionally, 70,117 were national visitors (40.16%), and 104,465 were international or foreign tourists (59.84%).
Chichén Itzá was once again the most visited site in Mexico in May, with a total of 135,747 visitors. It surpassed other sites such as Teotihuacán, which came in second with 112,918 people, and Tulum, which placed third with 96,833.
At the state level, other archaeological sites reported positive numbers: Uxmal (13,572), Ek Balam (8,990), Izamal (2,357), Kabah (2,292), Xcambó (2,020), Labná (1,937), Aké (659), Sayil (1,604), Acanceh (464), Oxkintok (330), Xlapak (187), and Chacmultún (46).
It is worth remember that the pre-Hispanic city of Dzibilchaltún has been closed since the beginning of the year due to the “Programa de Mejoramiento de Zonas Arqueológicas” (PROMEZA), while Mayapán is still closed since November 2023 due to a land conflict with ejidatarios from Telchaquillo, municipality of Tecoh. The Balambanché and Loltún caves have been closed since 2020.
