Mazatlan ready to welcome more Canadians this winter

Mazatlan is expecting a significant jump in the number of Canadians it hosts this winter and the following months, and is crediting WestJet in part for the expected increase.

Carlos Berdegue Sacrista, president of the Hotel Association of Mazatlan, told Travel Press Today during last week’s Fiesta Amigos Mazatlan 2025 tourism show that Mazatlan expects the number of Canadian visitors it sees this winter to be 20% to 30% higher than it was last winter.

The prediction follows reports of heightened interest in the Pacific-fronting city from WestJet and Sunwing.

“We hope you guys start getting a lot of winter, ” he joked.

This winter will see air links from 9 cities in this country — spanning from Vancouver to Montreal — to Mazatlan.

Fiesta Amigos Mazatlan opened with the coinciding of WestJet restarting Calgary-Mazatlan service, a development noted by Mireya Sosa Osuna — tourism minister of the state of Sinaloa, which Mazatlan is in — during her opening Fiesta Amigos Mazatlan address.

The route has traditionally been seasonal but WestJet now plans to continue it through October 2026 at least.

WestJet Vacations’ Barbara Polanco — on hand at the show — said she actually believes Mazatlan is underappreciated by Canadians.

“This is a great alternative for sun, beach and culture, ” she said. “It’s a very authentic and unique destination that should not be forgotten.”

Indeed, Sosa Osuna in her opening remarks stressed that Mazatlan shouldn’t be viewed as simply a beach retreat.

“Mazatlan is a destination of sun, sea and a historic center. We are very proud of it,” she said.

The city has an old quarter where visitors will see long-standing colonial buildings which have facades that must be preserved by the owners.

Sosa Osuna noted Mazatlan has hosted around 79 cruise ship calls so far this year and the area has around 190 hotels with over 14,000 rooms. Eleven more hotels are being built.

Sosa Osuna praised other Mazatlan attributes, including its having what’s reportedly the largest aquarium in Latin America, the longest, zipline in Mexico, a choice of golf courses,  what’s reportedly one of the three largest carnivals in the world and a “great diversity” of nightlife.