Mexico: impact of COVID-19 on tourism 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism revenue in Mexico had decreased by more than 50 percent as of September 2020, based on a year-over-year comparison. Meanwhile, the country’s international tourism volume plummeted by nearly 60 percent. Consequently, the tourism contribution to the Mexican GDP dropped by more than 45 percent in the second quarter of that year. In the 2010s, this sector accounted for over eight percent of the North American country's GDP .

Mexico’s tourism GDP

In the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector contributed more than 1.5 trillion Mexican pesos to Mexico’s GDP. Based on exchange rates of December 31, 2019, this amount equaled around 80 billion U.S. dollars. Out of the several economic activities related to this sector, accommodation and foodservice stand out as its most important segments, with both accounting for over 40 percent of the Mexican tourism GDP. In 2019, there were approximately 82 thousand foodservice establishments and 24 thousand hotels operating in the Latin American country.

International tourism in Mexico

Mexico is by far the leading tourism destination in Latin America. Its combination of beautiful beaches, authentic cuisine, and indigenous history attracts millions of tourists every year. In 2019, this country welcomed six times more international visitors than Argentina, which was the second most popular Latin American tourism destination among foreign travelers that year. Mexico is also the country with the highest international tourism receipts in the region.