The Mexican government expects 52 million tourists to visit the five states corresponding to the so-called Maya World over the next 12 months for the start of a new cosmic cycle in the Maya calendar.

The tourism office said Wednesday in a communique that the visitors will spend about 270 million pesos ($19.5 million) in the southeastern states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Yucatan and Quintana Roo.

On Dec. 21, 2012, the Maya calendar will come to the end of its current cycle, and thus Wednesday marks the start of the countdown of the last year in that culture’s long-term solar calendar.