What Time Is It in Cancun? One Hour Later

Cancun Changes Time Zone to Take Advantage of Extra Hour

 As of February 1, Cancun will be treating tourists to one more hour of fun, culture and beautiful beaches, as the state of Quintana Roo officially changes time zones from Central Standard Time (CST) to Eastern Standard Time (EST).

After more than two years of efforts by the state government and several hotel owners in Cancun, on December 4, 2014 the Mexican government gave the green light to change Quintana Roo’s time zone.

“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. “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.”

This time change will mean the destination will gain added sunlight each day, which according to hoteliers and service providers in Cancun, will result in economic benefits, as tourists will enjoy extra time on the beaches, consume more at restaurants and cafes, and spend longer time in parks and excursions found in and around the destination.

This change will strengthen Cancun’s competitiveness with other tourism destinations in the Caribbean that run on EST including the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica. This will also allow an improvement in air connectivity to various airports in Canada and the U.S., specifically Chicago, Atlanta, New York and Miami, which are some of Cancun’s biggest markets. Change to EST will also result in the same time zone as eight Canadian airports and 22 in the U.S., which will reduce time for flight connections and make Cancun an even more convenient destination.