Apocalypse Now! (Or How Mexico Has Connecticut Beat When It Comes To “End-Of-The-World“ Tourism Destinations)

Clearly all economic growth would end when the world ends. But that’s not going to stop Mexico from making a buck before December 21, 2012, the day marking the end of the current cycle of the Mayan “Long Count Calendar.” Tapachula, located on Mexico’s border with Guatemala, installed a big digital clock that counts down to that date. The town is not far from Izapa, the archeological site where the “Tree of Life Stone” was discovered during the 1950s.

Cancun and Playa del Carmen already hold their own as top tourist destinations, but that’s not stopping them from cashing in on the end-of-the-world act. If you go these spots, you can put messages and pictures in time capsules that will be buried for 50 years. Looking for a more collective experience? Try the ruins at the large ceremonial centers at Tulum, Palanque, and Chichen, where officials are busy prepping things for the arrival of thousands of expected “apocalypse tourists.”