Richard Branson celebrated the launch of Virgin Atlantic services to Cancun from London Gatwick with a star studded press trip.

The VIP flight arrived in Cancun on 7th July and to mark the occasion, Sir Richard Branson dressed in traditional Mexican attire, was joined on the wing by UK X Factor winner Alexandra Burke whilst a mariachi band entertained the watching crowd.

The group, made up of Sir Richard Branson and his family, Alexandra Burke, Leigh Francis (AKA Keith Lemmon), Derren Brown, Cleo Rocos plus VIP travel industry guests will stay at the five-star Royal Hideaway resort on the Riviera Maya. They will spend three days exploring the sights and sounds of the area including visits to Tulum, Chichen Itza, Xplor and, the highlight of the trip - swimming with whale sharks.

Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic Airways commented:

“I am delighted to be here to celebrate Virgin Atlantic’s new route to Cancun. Mexico holds a special place in my heart and it is great to be here with all my family and friends.

Cancun is one of the top five long-haul leisure destinations for UK travellers, and as a market leader in this area, we are pleased to be able to add this route to our network. 

With its superb beaches, great hotels and cultural sites, tourism to Cancun and the Riviera Maya is thriving.  We believe that we can drive demand even higher by providing great competition to our rivals with our award winning innovative product and service.”

Amanda Wills, Managing Director of Virgin Holidays also commented:

“Our customers have been asking for this direct service, and it’s fantastic to finally see it happen. We’ve already seen a big jump in demand for Cancun and Mexico with a near 800% year-on-year increase for 2012 and we’re looking forward to growing that further and establishing a significant market share in the future.

This region offers excellent value for money, and its blend of heritage, opportunities for relaxation and stunning hotels is something we know will appeal to the UK holidaymaker. Our expanded programme featuring 32 properties and exclusive tours will reinforce our position as the number one to the Caribbean.