Ana M. López
Research expert covering travel, tourism and hospitality
Travel and tourism in Mexico - Statistics & Facts
Ancient civilization ruins, tropical weather, stunning nature, and authentic food are just a few of the many attractions that lure travelers to Mexico. Mexico is the most competitive Latin American travel destination based on the last Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI), a method that evaluates infrastructure, policies, resources, and enabling conditions for tourism in countries around the world. In 2021, the natural, cultural, and non-leisure features were the best-performing TTCI sub-index for tourism development in the country. For this reason, tourism is a major economic activity in the North American country. Throughout the past decade, the tourism sector was responsible for more than eight percent of the Mexican gross domestic product (GDP), which is the second-largest GDP in Latin America and the Caribbean.
However, it is domestic tourism the main driver of the sector’s economy. In 2020, the tourism consumption by domestic travelers in Mexico was five times the expenditure of inbound and outbound tourists. In absolute terms, this figure was also highly impacted by the reduction in the number of domestic overnight guests in Mexican hotels in that year.
Tourism in Mexico during COVID-19
As countries around the world closed their borders, forcing the tourism sector to a standstill, Mexico followed a different path by allowing international visitors into the country without the requirement of coronavirus (COVID-19) test or vaccine certificates. In consequence, the Latin American country became a harbor for international travelers from all around the world during the health crisis. Nonetheless, Mexico has also felt the impact of COVID-19 on its tourism sector. In 2020, travel and tourism accounted for less than seven percent to the Mexican GDP. And despite the recovery experienced in 2021, the contribution of the accommodation and the food service industries to the Mexican economy remained significantly below 2019 figures.International and domestic tourism in Mexico
In 2020 and 2021, Mexico alone accounted for over half of international tourist arrivals in Latin America and the Caribbean. And by a wide margin, the United States is the main source market for Mexico’s inbound tourism. In the first semester of 2022, arrivals of air travelers with U.S. residency were over three times higher than the combined number of air passenger arrivals from the other nine leading countries of origin for international tourism in Mexico.However, it is domestic tourism the main driver of the sector’s economy. In 2020, the tourism consumption by domestic travelers in Mexico was five times the expenditure of inbound and outbound tourists. In absolute terms, this figure was also highly impacted by the reduction in the number of domestic overnight guests in Mexican hotels in that year.
