As of February 1st, Cancun tourists will enjoy an extra hour in the sun as the state of Quintana Roo changes 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, the Mexican government granted approval for the change.

Switching to EST will also result in Cancun being in the same time zone as eight Canadian airports and 22 in the U.S, reducing time for flight connections. “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.”