During the first quarter of the year, archaeological tourism increased by 170 percent, compared to the same period in 2021, revealed the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), establishing that one out of every three visitors went to Chichen Itza.
State growth was lower compared to the national average, which was over 200 percent.
In Yucatan, seven archaeological zones have been closed for two years, causing a serious problem for families dependent on the influx of walkers, and during the third month of the year, Acanceh and Aké were reopened.
Chichén Itzá was the pre-Columbian city with the highest influx in the country, while the Regional Museum of Anthropology and History “Palacio Cantón” was ranked among the 11 most visited in the country.
Currently, 10 of the 17 archaeological sites open to the public are in operation in the State, so seven remain closed, as part of the preventive measures to avoid the proliferation of Covid-19, and that is that as of November 2021 reopened Kabah.
However, since last February 7, the ejidatarios of Chablekal have blocked access to Dzibilchaltún, so that tourists and workers of the federal agency as well as the Board of Cultural and Tourist Services Units (Cultur) cannot enter.
According to the INAH, from January to March, three million 80 thousand 201 people entered the museums and archaeological zones of the country, with a growth of 219.8 percent compared to the first quarter of the previous year, when the sum was 963 thousand 103 tourists.
Of the total number of visitors, 20 million 388 thousand 503 went to the pre-Columbian cities and 691 thousand 698 entered the museums.
Likewise, of the total number of visitors, two million 69 thousand 255 were national tourists, 67.18 percent, and one million 10 thousand 946 were foreigners, 32.82 percent.
In the case of Yucatan, the arrival of archaeological and museum tourism was 853 thousand 106 people, with an increase of 168.9 percent compared to 2021, when there were 314 thousand 251 walkers who arrived at the sites of interest open to the public Of the entity.
Of the total number of visitors, 844 thousand 945 went to the areas of archaeological monuments and eight thousand 161 people entered the Regional Museum of Anthropology and History “Palacio Cantón”, which ranked eleventh national in influx, 1.18 percent of the total country.
Likewise, of the total number of passers-by, 425 thousand 956 were nationals, 49.9 percent, and 427 thousand 150 foreigners, 50.1 percent.
The most visited
At the national level, Chichen Itza is the most visited archaeological heritage zone with 690 thousand 165 tourist, 28.9 percent of the total, followed by Teotihuacan, in the State of Mexico, with 458 thousand 179 people, on 19.18. percent, and Tulum, in Quintana Roo, with 302,864 tourists, 12.68 percent.
Only in these three sites did 60.76 percent of the total archaeological tourism arrive, that is, three out of every five visitors, the INAH established through its website.
It should be noted that in 2019 and in the first quarter of 2020, Chichén Itzá ranked first in the country for tourist influx, but as a result of Covid-19 it lost its position, but it recovered it as of June 2021.
Currently, Uxmal is ranked sixth nationally, with 2.54 percent of the national total; Ek’Balam is in ninth place, 1.97 percent, and Mayapán is in 19th place, 0.67 percent.
Kabah is in the 31st place, with 0.34 percent; Xkambó, on rung 32, with 0.34 percentage.
Last January, Dzibilchaltún was in the twelfth position, in February it moved to site 15, and now it is in position 35, because the site is closed, as part of the protest by the ejidatarios of Chablekal, Mérida police station.
Izamal is in 40th place on the national table, with 0.27 percent, and Acanceh and Aké are further down.
Of the total archaeological tourism in the State, 81.68 percent of archaeological tourism went to Chichen Itza, followed by Uxmal, with 60,626 people, 7.17 percent; Ek’Balam, with 46 thousand 980 walkers, 5.56 percentage.
Likewise, 15,892 visitors arrived in Mayapán, 1.88 percent; Kabah, with 8,191 passers-by, 0.97 percent; Xkambó, with 8,141 visitors, 0.96 percent, and Dzibilchaltún, with 7,809 tourists, 0.92 percent.
Similarly, Izamal, with 6,647 tourists, 0.76 percent, followed by Aké, with 399, 0.05 percent, and Acanceh, with 275 people, 0.03 percent.
After the closure of the sites as a result of Covid-19, on March 23, 2020, seven pre-Hispanic cities and places of interest have not yet opened to tourism, specifically, Chacmultún, Grutas de Balamcanché, Grutas de Loltún, Labná, Oxkintok, Sayil, and Xlapac.
Source: yucatanahora.mx
