Hoteliers and tour operators are reporting that advance bookings for the upcoming winter peak season look strong for Cancun.

The Mexican resort city should expect arrival numbers at about the same level as last year's winter season, said Jesus Almaguer, director general of the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Almaguer said, "We are very confident right now" that the arrival numbers for December through March will be "about the same" as the same period last year, which would be "pretty good," since the winter of 2008-09 saw visitor arrivals jump by 9.5% from the previous year.

Almaguer said he is confident the destination has put much of the struggles of 2009, fueled by fears of drug violence and swine flu, behind it and, with hoteliers and tour operators creating packages with "very reasonable and affordable rates," Cancun will be able to draw consumers even though economic times in the U.S. remain challenging. The U.S. economy continues to be a main concern for Mexico's tourism industry, he said.

"We are doing a lot of promotions, and we believe that we can compete on price without sacrificing quality or the high standards of our facilities to offer a very appealing Caribbean and exotic destination," he said.

Helping maintain Cancun's star attraction -- its white-sand beaches and beautiful Caribbean waters -- is essential, he said. A federal and state project starting Oct. 19 is designed to restore miles of beaches that have shrunk in the last few years.

The project in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel will pump sand from the sea floor to beaches damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The work is expected to be completed by the first week of December, in time for the winter peak season, he said.