As if it wasn’t sunny enough in the tourist paradise of Cancun and the Riviera Maya, things are about to get brighter. One hour brighter.
As of February 1, the State of Quintana Roo will offer visitors one more hour of fun, culture and beautiful beaches each day. After more than two years of efforts by a coalition of the state’s government and local hotel owners, the Mexican government okayed a significant change to Quintana Roo’s time zone, moving it from Central Standard Time (CST) to Eastern Standard Time (EST).
“Cancun is excited to welcome this time change, which will allow our visitors to take advantage of one more hour in our beautiful destination,” said Jesus Almaguer, CEO of the Cancun CVB, in a press release. “The added sunlight should also generate reductions in electricity use for hotels and restaurants in the area, which aligns with Cancun’s turquoise conservation initiative.”
With a modern and user friendly airport receiving non-stop flights from all over the eastern U.S., Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula has become a major tourist destination in recent years, thanks to an unrivalled and unique slate of amenities. It is home to incredible Mayan ruins such as Tulum and Coba, as well as a huge array of resorts of all sizes, including both luxury all-inclusives and straight up luxury brands such as Rosewood, Fairmont and Ritz-Carlton. Its coast is lined with beautiful beaches, off of which sits the world’s second largest barrier reef. Watersports, especially fishing and diving, are world class, and the area has a broad slate of top quality golf courses by leading designers such as Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus. Culture, food, sports, activities and first rate lodging define the area, making it the most popular tourism destination in all of Mexico.
While every day will have the same total number of daylight hours, this time change means most visitors to the region will gain a more usable hour of sun at the end of the afternoon each day, allowing visitors to enjoy extra time on the beaches, golf courses and excursions. It will also coordinate better with the main market, the East Coast, putting Cancun and its surrounding region on equal footing with the Caribbean and Bahamas. The change to EST will put Cancun’s airport in the same time zone as 8 in Canada and 22 in the U.S.
Follow Me on Twitter Here
