The number of international tourists who visited Mexico in the first half of this year grew by 11.7%, with more than 20.98 million tourists arriving, as the National Institute of Statistics reported. The data is still encouraging despite being 8.9% below 2019 figure. The International Travelers Survey also revealed foreign exchange income of $14.479 billion, which is 11.1% more than the same period last year and 21.4% higher than in 2019. These statistics suggest that Mexico's tourism industry is recovering well and has the potential for further growth.
Regarding entry to the country, a staggering 11.2 million tourists arrived in Mexico by air, marking a 7.1% increase from 2022 and an 8.2% increase from 2019, when 10.39 million visitors arrived by air. The Secretary of Tourism for the Mexican government, Miguel Torruco, has strongly emphasized that these results confirm the current administration's tourism policy as "correct" as it prioritizes increasing foreign exchange earnings and per capita spending, which are crucial in measuring a nation's tourism potential. Based on current trends, the government fully expects to exceed 31,000 million dollars from international visitors by year-end.
