Tourist arrivals in Mexico have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, supporting a crucial sector at a time when the economy is still recovering.
According to the country’s statistics institute, about 6.1 million visitors entered Mexico in November, a 22% rise from the prior year. In the first 11 months of the year, there were 22.4 million foreign visitors who spent at least one night in Mexico outside of the border regions, a significant indicator that eliminates short back-and-forth crossings. This is a record since the institute began to publish the statistics in 2018.
According to a study by the University of Anahuac’s tourism research department, when the coronavirus epidemic abated in 2018, more foreign travellers than in 2021 flew into Mexico’s well-known beach locations, such as Cancun and Puerto Vallarta. Tourists also tend to visit Chichen Itza, a complex of Mayan ruins located in the centre of the northern half of the Yucatan Peninsula, which was voted among the New 7 Wonders of the World.
According to analysts, Mexico’s main airport operators will most likely experience growth in 2023, driven by tourist spending at resorts and a rise in nearshoring, or businesses moving operations closer to home.
Asur, GAP, and OMA, the top three airport operators in the country, had a “historic” year in 2022 thanks to a record passenger increase of more than 20% in December compared to the same month in 2019.
“From our perspective, that reflects a complete recovery of the industry”, analysts at Mexico’s Monex remarked, considering the previous decline in travel demand brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.