The Latin America Tourism Density Index: Ranking Destinations by Visitor-to-Resident Ratios

As Latin America continues to emerge as one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism regions, several destinations are experiencing unprecedented visitor-to-resident ratios that raise questions about tourism sustainability and local quality of life.

A comprehensive analysis of 50 major Latin American tourist destinations reveals significant variations in tourism intensity, with some destinations hosting over 40 tourists for every local resident throughout the year.

Key Findings

• Cozumel, Mexico tops the list with 43 tourists for every local resident – making it Latin America’s most tourism-dense destination
• Mexico dominates the top rankings with multiple destinations in Quintana Roo and Yucatan showing visitor ratios above 30:1
• Small Caribbean and coastal towns see the most extreme ratios – Tulum (39 tourists per resident) and Punta Cana (36 tourists per resident) rank in the top three
• Major South American capitals show surprisingly low tourism density – cities like Bogotá and Lima host fewer than 3 tourists per resident, despite being regional powerhouses
• Central American destinations create tourism “hotspots” – tiny coastal towns in countries like Nicaragua and Belize show ratios that dwarf their larger neighbors

Where the Crowds Are: Tourism Density Across Latin America

Complete Rankings: Latin America’s 50 Most Tourism-Dense Destinations

The full analysis examined destinations across 17 Latin American countries, measuring the ratio of annual visitors to permanent residents.

The results paint a comprehensive picture of tourism concentration across the region, from major metropolitan areas to small coastal towns.

Rank	City	Country	Visitors	Population	Tourist/Resident ratio
1	Cozumel	Mexico	4,766,557	109,708	43.45
2	Tulum	Mexico	1,805,341	46,721	38.64
3	Punta Cana	Dominican Republic	4,995,930	138,000	36.20
4	Punta del Este	Uruguay	647,841	18,200	35.60
5	Cancun	Mexico	32,000,000	1,045,000	30.62
6	El Calafate	Argentina	680,000	22,844	29.77
7	Puerto Vallarta	Mexico	6,040,000	291,839	20.70
8	Puerto Iguazu	Argentina	1,508,776	82,000	18.40
9	Antigua Guatemala	Guatemala	971,930	60,000	16.20
10	San Juan del Sur	Nicaragua	250,000	16,000	15.63
11	Ambergris Caye	Belize	299,167	20,000	14.96
12	Tamarindo	Costa Rica	90,000	7,132	12.62
13	Los Cabos	Mexico	3,800,000	351,111	10.82
14	Mazatlan	Mexico	4,000,000	478,000	8.37
15	Cusco	Peru	3,400,000	512,636	6.63
16	Oaxaca City	Mexico	1,300,290	255,029	5.10
17	Bariloche	Argentina	749,465	150,000	5.00
18	Playa del Carmen	Mexico	1,770,000	356,751	4.96
19	Valparaíso	Chile	1,500,000	320,816	4.68
20	Cartagena	Colombia	4,818,663	1,096,000	4.40
21	Florianópolis	Brazil	2,000,000	576,361	3.47
22	Granada	Nicaragua	360,000	105,862	3.40
23	Merida	Mexico	3,700,000	1,239,654	2.98
24	Asuncion	Paraguay	1,320,000	462,241	2.86
25	Mexico City	Mexico	56,400,000	22,500,000	2.51
26	Salvador da Bahia	Brazil	9,400,000	4,030,000	2.33
27	Ushuaia	Argentina	418,434	180,000	2.32
28	Cuenca	Ecuador	920,000	461,000	2.00
29	Mendoza	Argentina	2,000,000	1,058,000	1.89
30	São Paulo	Brazil	37,000,000	22,800,000	1.62
31	Santa Marta	Colombia	725,000	550,000	1.32
32	Bogota	Colombia	14,074,859	11,600,000	1.21
33	Cali	Colombia	3,033,000	2,500,000	1.21
34	San Jose	Costa Rica	1,779,529	1,482,000	1.20
35	San Juan	Puerto Rico	2,880,000	2,440,000	1.18
36	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	6,800,000	6,700,000	1.01
37	Panama City	Panama	1,792,322	2,100,000	0.85
38	Bocas del Toro	Panama	176,293	226,221	0.78
39	Santo Domingo	Dominican Republic	2,475,365	3,600,000	0.69
40	Montevideo	Uruguay	898,298	1,384,324	0.65
41	Arequipa	Peru	573,088	983,715	0.58
42	Punta Arenas	Chile	76,537	145,713	0.53
43	Managua	Nicaragua	500,000	1,055,500	0.47
44	La Paz	Bolivia	349,000	755,732	0.46
45	Santiago	Chile	2,879,590	6,951,000	0.41
46	Quito	Ecuador	611,739	2,017,000	0.30
47	Medellin	Colombia	1,200,000	4,102,000	0.29
48	Lima	Peru	2,157,213	11,362,000	0.19
49	Buenos Aires	Argentina	2,830,000	15,600,000	0.18
50	Manaus	Brazil	322,294	2,279,686	0.14

Alternative Destinations: Crowd-Free Options

For travelers seeking similar experiences with lower tourism density, consider these alternatives:

World-Class Cosmopolitan Cities: Buenos Aires (0.18 tourists per resident) offers European architecture, world-renowned steakhouses, and tango culture, while Medellín (0.29 tourists per resident) provides innovative urban transformation, perfect climate, and vibrant nightlife without tourist crowds.

Authentic Beach Destinations: Santa Marta, Colombia (1.32 tourists per resident) serves as a gateway to pristine Caribbean beaches and indigenous culture, while Rio de Janeiro (1.01 tourists per resident) delivers iconic beaches, cultural landmarks, and carnival atmosphere with surprisingly manageable tourist numbers.

Colonial Mountain Cities: Quito, Ecuador (0.30 tourists per resident) combines UNESCO World Heritage colonial architecture with Andean culture and volcano access, while Arequipa, Peru (0.58 tourists per resident) offers stunning colonial buildings, culinary excellence, and Colca Canyon proximity.

Amazon Gateway Cities: Manaus, Brazil (0.14 tourists per resident) provides the ultimate crowd-free access to Amazon rainforest adventures, river cruises, and indigenous culture with the lowest tourism density in the study.

Coastal Capital Experiences: Montevideo, Uruguay (0.65 tourists per resident) delivers sophisticated South American culture, beautiful coastline, and historic charm without the tourist masses found in other regional capitals.

Methodology

This study analyzed visitor-to-resident ratios across 50 major tourist destinations in Latin America to identify tourism density patterns across the region.

Data Collection: Visitor numbers were collected from official tourism boards, port authorities, airport statistics, and government tourism departments for each destination. Population data was sourced from national census data, municipal records, and official demographic statistics. All data represents the most recent available figures, primarily from 2023-2024.

Calculation Method: The tourism density ratio was calculated by dividing annual visitor numbers by the permanent resident population. Results are expressed as visitors per resident (e.g., 43 tourists per local resident), with numbers rounded to the nearest whole number for clarity. Only destinations with reliable visitor and population data were included in the analysis.

Geographic Scope: The study covered tourist destinations across 17 Latin American countries including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Both major metropolitan areas and smaller tourist-dependent communities were included to provide a comprehensive regional overview.

Limitations: Some destinations may have seasonal variations not fully captured in annual figures. Cruise passenger numbers include day visitors who may not impact destinations in the same way as overnight tourists. Population figures may not account for seasonal residents or temporary workers in tourism-dependent areas.