Mexico’s thriving tourism industry scales new heights with latest findings

According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) figures, Mexico has moved up to ninth in the world for foreign exchange profits from tourism.

The Secretary of Tourism of Mexico, Miguel Torruco, recently revealed that projections from the World Tourism Organization’s World Tourism Barometer place Mexico at number nine in the world in terms of revenue earned per international tourist in 2022.

Torruco noted that Mexico’s ranking in foreign exchange earnings per international visitor rose from 17th in 2018 at the start of this administration to ninth in 2022, placing it among the top 10 places for the second year.

TravePulse reports that based on projections made by Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, the country would earn US$31.1 billion from international tourists by the end of 2023. This is an increase of 11.3% from 2022 and 26.8% from 2019.

Torruco further noted that in 2022, international tourism would bring in US$28 billion in revenue for Mexico, a 14% rise over 2019 and a 41% rise from 2021.

He additionally pointed out that this dramatic increase is consistent with the concept of Mexico’s current tourism policy, which places a higher value on foreign exchange earnings from international visitors than on the total number of tourists so that the positive economic effects of tourism can spread throughout the communities of Mexico’s 235 places with a tourist vocation.

38.3 billion tourists from abroad visited Mexico in 2022, an increase of 20.3% from 2021 and only 14.9% more than in 2019.

As a result, Mexico is ranked sixth in the WTO ranking, behind France, Spain, the United States, Turkey, and Italy, which is an improvement from where it was at the end of 2018 regarding foreign visitor arrivals.

The global tourism industry has started to recover from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 saw a sharp decline as international demand plummeted, with tourism arrivals and expenditures down by 72.2%.

Foreign exchange income from international visitors dropped by 55.3%, but arrivals dropped by only 46.1%, thanks to policies implemented in Mexico, as the Secretary of Tourism reiterated. These policies included not restricting international flights, developing standard bio-sanitary protocols, and implementing a vaccination strategy.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili praised President Andres Manuel López Obrador for his leadership in enacting the reforms that have led to the tourism industry’s rapid recovery.

Further information was provided by Torruco, who noted that the WTO estimated that nearly 963 million foreign visitors arrived worldwide in 2022, an increase of 111.2% over 2021.

Additionally, the projections for 2023 are favorable. According to UNWTO, due to the difficult global economic climate, travelers can expect to take more short-haul trips and look for fair value for money.

Torruco also asserted that this administration’s tourism policy has been successful. The combined efforts of the three levels of government authorities and the private sector have been successful. For instance, initiatives like Green Angels, Magical Towns, and Magical Neighborhoods have been strengthened. By the end of the administration, high-priority projects like trains, airports, and highways will also be consolidated. Every aspect of this will increase economic output and revenue from foreign exchange.

Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of its developments. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all. Evie can be reached at evieblanco@detourxp.com.

This story was originally published May 30, 2023 at 11:30 AM.